Personal Grunts

You know, when you think of something, and a little sound seeps out without thinking about it. It might be a squeal of delight, a laugh out loud (no initials, please) in response to a witty passage, or a bad memory. Mine are usually of the bad memory variety. In my mind's eye, I see myself inserting my foot into my mouth AGAIN and wince. I think I am only wincing on the inside, but, in fact, I am actually making a little noise aloud to go along with the very real outside wince. I have been known to laugh out loud on the bus and cry unashamedly (not usually with too much sound) on the train. Some public spaces are just anonymous enough and so welcoming in a certain way that makes them perfect for public personal grunts.

I have been listening as I walk along the street, ride the bus or the train, generally whenever I am out in the public sphere. I guess I started listening because I know I do it. I started to worry that spending a lot of time alone with my personal monologues that I have just lost touch with the outside world. But, really, I may be wacko, but I am NOT the only one. If I didn't have so much to do, I might carry around a notebook and record all the personal grunts I hear...when they happened, who the grunter was, if I could tell what had precipitated the sound.

Maybe it makes us all part of some giant human community and not wacko at all, but lately I have been voting for wacko.