The Loathing...

It's not that I don't like people, you see. It's not that I'm inherently anti-social or anything. With the right group of people or person, I'm quite interesting to get to know. It's just that I don't do well with the standard pleasantries and social graces expected of individuals who get together and who don't know each other. I loathe the standard question of "what do you do" when I am inextricably placed with another individual who is equally as uncomfortable in being there. Rather, I prefer the question, "what kind of person are you?" to me that just opens up much more opportunities to share a meaningful conversation.

Often when meeting new people, I will ask a question or two meant to shock them or at least get them out of their protective stance. It's not to be cruel, exactly, but instead to watch and study their reactions, because the reactions tell you more about them than a boring hour-long conversation about what they do for a living. Some of the following are favorite conversation starters for me:


- Have you ever shoplifted anything?
- If you could choose your method of death, what would it be?
- Can God make a boulder so big that even he can't lift it?
- If you could speak to anyone living or dead, who would it be and why?

They aren't really anything spectacular, but they do quickly evoke some thought from the person you are posing them to, and let you know right away whether the individual is worth spending any time with.

They say that people who are able to spend lots of time by themselves tend to be those who do best on the trail. This is because of the huge amount of time one spends solo while walking, especially after the halfway point when most of those attempting the entire hike have fallen by the wayside.

I wonder how six months of relative solitude will affect my social outlook on life. Will I be more social or even less so? Will I grow to like and appreciate people or will I come to fear and loathe them. Will I adapt faster to new situations and individuals or will I cower and retreat from them?

I guess we'll see, won't we?