American Conversation

Setting: Lunchtime in a company lunch room. 

People are seated at tables throughout the room.  I'm at a table with Sally and Jane (not their real names).

Sally blurts out,

"I can't stand that guy".

I follow her gaze to the corner where a television is on.  Picture only, no sound.

John Boehner is speaking behind a podium.  I can't tell what he's speaking about, because there's no sound and no hints on the screen.

"You mean John Boehner?", I ask Sally.

"Yeah", she answers.  "I can't stand to even look at him".

That intrigued me, so I decided to try to find out what was motivating her hatred.

"Why do you hate John Boehner?" I asked.

"I just can't stand the guy" she responded.

"But what is it about him that you hate so much?" I pressed.

"Just look at him!", she exclaimed.  "Those shifty eyes, that fake tan ..."

"OK, so you think he has shifty eyes and a fake tan", I repeated.  "I have never been good at looking at somebody's eyes and from that knowing whether they're a good or bad person.  Maybe you have a special intuition about those things."

"Do you hate him just because of those things, or is there more to it than that?"

After thinking for awhile, she said, "Well, he's the biggest reason Congress gets nothing done.  He's such an obstructionist - for no reason!".

"Hmm, that's interesting" I said.  "OK, so help me understand better.  What bill did he block that you really wanted to see passed?"

The table was silent for over a minute, as each of us just continued eating our lunch without speaking.  Finally I decided that Sally wasn't going to answer my question, so I picked up my sandwich wrappers to throw in the trash and stood up to leave.

"I just can't stand the guy", said Sally as I turned to leave.