There’s this guy I know.

He likes to come talk to me when he sees me. It doesn’t matter if I’m running out the door or in mid-sentence with someone else, he’ll just start talking.

I can tolerate that. I’ll attribute it to a lifetime of social ineptitude. I can’t expect everyone to develop social skills at a realistic rate. That point, I’ve conceded.

But it’s the same conversation over and over again. Not merely the same topic, but it’s literally like dejavu each and every time. Here’s what happens:

Him: “Hey man, how are you doing? What are you up to?”
Me: “Not much, same ol’ same ol’.”
Him: “Alright. Cool, man. Are you in school or something?”
Me: “Nope, I’m working.”
Him: “Oh, for [a guy's name he gets wrong every time]?”
Me: “Nope, I don’t work for him. I work at an IT firm.”
Him: “That’s cool. What do you do there?”
Me: “I develop software applications.”
Him: [confused look] “Okay. It’s like we never get to talk, man, I feel like I don’t really get a chance to know you.”
Me: “Uh, I have to go.”

Now, this conversation wouldn’t be so bad if it’s like the first time he’s really talked to me or something. But this conversation has repeated itself (almost word for word) no less than 5 times already. I’m thinking, man, if you really cared, you would remember who I am and what I do. But obviously you don’t.

I should really just start making different stuff up each time.

“Oh, I’m a professional chair stacker. I engineer the most efficient ways to stack chairs.”