Column | Age of recline
This column reflects on the author's experiences with social interactions while traveling, specifically focusing on the awkwardness of unsolicited help and cultural misunderstandings. The narrative uses a bus encounter in London and a past trip to Switzerland to explore themes of social etiquette.
Why it matters
The piece offers a cultural commentary on the complexities of human interaction and the 'helper' instinct in a globalized society.
What nonsense is this?” the old man sitting next to me on the bus told me.
“Excuse me?” I replied, dear reader, somewhat confused. I was confused on two counts. First of all, I was listening to something on my earphones, and thought I had misheard the gentleman. And secondly, I had actually heard him, but was somewhat surprised that he had chosen to start the conversation this way.
I mean, there are so many ways to start conversations these days. Did you see the match? Or, did your exam paper leak? Or, have you been disenfranchised through the process of Special Intensive Revision? Or, is your paneer analogue or digital?
Whistler’s Mother (1871) by James McNeill Whistler. | Photo Credit: (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
So many gentle ways. ‘What nonsense is this?’ seemed a bit extreme.
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