Within a three-hour period today, two opposing phrases were directed at me: "You are amazing!" and "You suck!" Both times, I smiled and appreciated the compliment.
Let me explain.
The first one is easy. I had just shared my beat-box and echo-voice skills at a talent show, so a few people were impressed enough to tell me afterwards, "You are amazing!" I may not be a professional performer, but I currently have enough skill to impress my peers.
The second phrase was spoken a couple hours later. I was playing Ticket to Ride with some friends. I had placed my train pieces to claim a space that one of the other players really needed. I got in the way of their strategy. The other player let out a burst of temporary frustration: "You suck!" That made me laugh because such things are spoken by many players when they run into an obstacle in a game.
Taken in isolation, the two phrases are opposites. However, both times it was a compliment to me. First a compliment to my beat-box skill, second a compliment to my board game skill (or just sheer luck). Funny how the English language works, eh?
I am grateful for today's social activities: a talent show and some board games.
No comments:
Post a Comment