Benefits of Being With Smart People

[kevin_standlee]

The container in which I discard coffee grounds had developed an... interesting set of growths in the five weeks I was gone. I poured as much of the liquid out and discarded the science project into the trash. Later, I mentioned this to Lisa, saying, "The skin that had formed on top of that container looked a bit like the surface of Io." She went "ugh" and laughed. But she knew what I meant. I didn't have to explain myself. I appreciate this.

After returning to the office after the longish period I was away around Worldcon (about a month including the time working from home before and after the trip), I jokingly referred to the pace of change there by saying to one of the other engineers, "I figured that in time I was gone you would have repainted everything purple, rearranged the desks in order of employees' middle initials, and announced a new policy that all documents must be translated into Esperanto.

"What's Esperanto?" said the engineer in question.

"Never mind," I said. My cultural references are not the same as yours.

Comments

[lindadee.livejournal.com]

I had a similar experience. I quoted something from "Alice's Restaurant," and someone around my age understood exactly what I'd said. The woman who sits next to me and is much, much younger than I am, however, didn't have a clue, and we had to explain. *sigh*

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure smart might not have anything to do with the Esperanto reference. It's been dead a _long_ time, and is obscure enough to be an age thing now.

Unless you're a _big time_ Star Trek fan.

[scott-sanford.livejournal.com]

Or Red Dwarf, of course.

Now, Loglan would be obscure these days...

[chocolatescifi.livejournal.com]

You should have said that all documents must be translated into Klingon. Your co-worker probably would have understood that, even if he/she/it wasn't a Star Trek fan.

[delosharriman]

[From my sister's imaginary phrasebook]
"Desperanto — I have no hope of learning this language."

But I know exactly what you mean. If I'm not quite at Lisa's level of "needing to talk to smart people", I nevertheless find that a major criterion in choosing where I go & whom I associate with.

[bindyree.livejournal.com]

Mi kusenveturilo estan plenas je angiloj.