Untold Stories

If I were to find myself in this situation I don’t think it would be a case of me using my voice and words to tell people about me.

Here’s something like how it would go:

For the first thirty seconds or so I would hover quietly near the door, assessing the people, the furniture and the overall mood of the room. After this I would slip in, sticking to the door frame and quietly scuffing my shoe on the floor. Maybe I’d leave the door open for a while, the better to make a quick and subtle getaway.

After this I would maybe sidle up to someone and rack my brains for an opening line, a neat way to climb into a conversation without seeming weird. Odds are high I would do this in a blank-faced way, hoping to hide my discomfort.

Probably I’d continue holding something, or playing with an accessory. Maybe I’m holding a book or notebook, maybe I have a takeaway coffee. I might sit down, if there’s a space, and reason that I may as well look comfortable.

This puts us at about a minute thirty, maybe two minutes gone. With this in mind I’d let the strangers form impressions of me based on things like my clothes or how I’m moving around. Chances are good that I would stick to the one area, allowing myself to get accustomed to the area.

I think sometimes it’s more what you do, rather than what you say, that tells people about you.

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