Found Conversations

I love Found Conversations. Like Found Art, or Object, or Trash Art, which is art made from pieces of stuff you find that wouldn’t be considered art (bottle caps, pop cans, sticks, pieces of broken glass, etc.) but in the hands of an artist become a work of art, Found Conversations are bits and pieces of conversation you pick up from people around you. In an elevator, in a waiting room, in a restroom, and so on. For me these little snips of conversation are great writing prompts and I’ve started a number of short stories based on these Found Conversations. I haven’t finished most of those stories but that’s a topic for another blog post.

Anyway…

A little backstory: The Minnesota Twins are in sort of a downward spiral. They had a great month of May and everyone was really excited and they were the talk of the town. June wasn’t so good and July was only a little bit better. The trading deadline passed last week and while a lot of fans thought we should roll the dice and trade for some premiere players to help push us toward the playoffs, the team’s general manager wasn’t of the same mind. He made just one minor move for a relief pitcher who, in his debut with the team on Sunday, was less than overwhelming.

So yesterday morning I’m down in the men’s room and I hear this conversation. I probably won’t use it to start my next at-some-point-that’s-hopefully-not-never-to-be-finished short story, but I thought it was interesting enough to share.

Guy one at urinal: “That Seattle pitcher was tough yesterday.”

Guy two at urinal: “Tougher when you’re the Twins and you can’t hit.”

Guy one: “They’re inconsistent, hits all over the place one day and then nothing the next.”

Guy three standing next to me at sink: “And Ryan’s trade sucked. Someone should take him out and kick him in the balls.”

It’s a general rule of conduct to not make eye contact with other guys in the men’s room but I couldn’t help but look up into the mirror to see who Ball-Kicker guy was. I thought it was safe to break the men’s room maxim just in case I might see him again on the street and want to cross to the other side.