Monday, September 14, 2009

Being socially inept.


I don’t do parlor games, and to the best of my ability I employ every skill I have to avoid having to participate in them. I suppose that if everybody playing were really, really good close personal friends, then a game or two wouldn’t inflict much suffering. But playing parlor games as a way of knowing perfect strangers presents an experience second only to waking up next to a dead horse on the horror meter.

I remember this one time when a parlor game was introduced as “getting to know you” activity. The whole group, about 30 people or so, had to pick out a piece of paper from a bowl. These pieces of paper contained the names of farm animals – a cow, chicken, goat, duck and sheep. Once the participants had read what’s on the paper, they should close their eyes and find their group mates by making the appropriate barnyard noise.

I was able to convince the organizer that I will document the whole thing, and I spent the next minutes watching 30 grown men and women mooing and clucking and baaing all over the room. After many painful seconds witnessing this, everybody found their animal friends, except for the ducks. There were two groups of duck. Not everybody was quacking the same way!

Of course those who participated in the games seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. I was the odd person out. A non-quacking, non-bleating, non-parlor-game-playing party pooper.

In all honesty, I would much rather sit and stare at a blank wall than play a party game.

I guess this quirk, like most dysfunctions in a human being, is rooted in some childhood trauma or another. I wish I knew what. I tried going through the traumatic events that I remember almost drowning, being in a fast ferriswheel going downward with out holding, being the last kid eating lunch with classes already starting, and a few more.

But none seemed particularly related to social ineptitude.

Maybe it’s just me!

8 comments:

ADMIN said...

I just can't get into those silly games. The just seem too childish. No Can do!!!

MEDICALBOOBOOS said...

I am not a games person in general, I don't have a competitive streak and would rather other people took the centre stage. Even though I have a out going personality in general if the focus is purely on me, like bday parties etc I feel embarrassed. grateful but shy about it.
xoxoxo

Cal said...

You're not alone. Tracey and I were sharing yesterday about our 'anti-social' behaviour - LOL or should I say 'quack quack!' Perish the thought!

Angry American said...

I've never played parlor games that I can remember. But, I don't need them. I'm such a damn goofball (think Jerry Louis meets Bugs Bunny and team up with Three Stooges) that I can make a parlor game look boring. 8)=

Joey Paul said...

I'm the same, I'd rather sit on my own than speak aloud to a group of people I didn't know...and the thought of having to baa, cluck or moo...that actually made me shiver all the way down to my spine...it's why I'm better on the internet than I am in person!

Jenni said...

Hi Odette! You are not alone in this! I think that playing games like this in front of people you don't know is AWFUL! I think the only fun way to do this would be with your own family, who already knows you very well! :) I also would have done my best to avoid playing that game!

I hope you are doing well this week! I have been SO bad at blogging, and that includes visiting! I will do better! :) Have a beautiful day!

Chicken Boys said...

Sometimes acting the fool in a parlor game sort of thing is helpful. It helps you to realize that everyone is human. You're acting a fool. They're acting a fool. And everyone is on the same page.

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

if we all gonna be in one room, no game is necessary, there will be fun and laughter and noise as everyone will have a good time just being with friends!
love you all,
xoxoxoxo

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