Things Not to Talk About

There are some subjects that it's best not to talk about with casual acquaintances. With close friends and family, anything goes. They wouldn't be so close if it weren't so easy to talk to them, after all. When it comes to people you barely know, if you bring up the wrong subject, one of you could wind up offending or boring to tears the other, probably the latter. Things not to talk about include:

Religion- A person who seems perfectly normal might be one who would try to convert you to some wacky religion, or one that is sensible but just doesn't happen to be your own. Do you want to listen to a My-religion-is-better-than-yours, or worse yet, a You-will-burn-in-hell-for-eternity-if-you-don't-convert spiel?

Politics- Sometimes during election seasons (and do they ever end?), people feel called-upon to campaign for their favorite candidates or causes. This can be a chance to find out more about important issues, but it can also lead to mud-slinging at all levels. Not everyone understands that they won't be able to change people's minds by hurling insults.

Vacations- While not a volatile topic, this is one that is of interest to only a few listeners. If you have no intention of going to the places being discussed, hearing about them can seem like a sedative. Pictures of strangers standing in front of dull landmarks make it even more boring.

Pets- Mentioning dogs or cats can be an invitation to a lecture about how wonderful certain ones are, or how awful others are. Pet-owners who think of their animals as family members sometimes get carried away with describing their adorable antics.

Children- Parents comparing notes on how their children are doing when they go through various stages of development can be reassuring. Parents who get almost as carried away as some pet-owners when talking about their little ones can be infuriatingly boring.

Computers- The relationships that some people have with their computers can rival the ones others have with kids or pets. They will go on and on about how wonderful the computer is since they upgraded it, describing its abilities and functions lovingly.

Vehicles- Cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, motorcycles, and even bicycles fall into this category. When someone starts to talk about the anatomy of one of them, it's time to make a quick exit. If that isn't possible, change the subject to a trip made on or in said vehicle. It still might be boring, but not quite as bad.

Home repair or remodeling- The only people who could possibly be interested in such a thing are the ones who have recently done something similar or are considering it. That eliminates most of the human race.

Food- When it's almost lunchtime and all you had for breakfast was a tangerine, hearing about the delicious food at a certain restaurant can make the time crawl. When you've just finished over-indulging and feel like you are about to explode, hearing about food can make it worse.

Ailments- Okay, so exchanging notes on aches and pains and how to deal with them can be useful. Finding out that you aren't the only one with upper back pain does help. You can even self-diagnose your problem before going to the doctor. You might be wrong, but it's worth a shot, no pun intended. The gory details about different ailments are best saved for later, though. Trust me.

That's all I have to say about that.