A Seinfeld conversation broke out in my head tonight; one of those conversations whose topic is the super-ordinary, wherein discussed are matters that swarm around us like bacteria, going unnoticed in spite of their ubiquity.
The participants were two rather rudimentary characters that were synthesized by my lazy imagination. They had no names or distinguishable attributes of any kind, except that they were of the opposite sex. They spoke to each other with a comic indifference rarely encountered in real life. They could have been out together for a cigarette or perhaps sitting in a cinema waiting for the movie to start; in one of those situations where for some reason, conversation simply must be had.
As was often the case on the show, the conversation was about relationships. "So," asks the man, "How have things been since you moved in with (let's call him) Barrack?"
"Oh," replies the woman, "Not too bad."
"Hmm, you don't sound too convincing."
"To be honest... No, never mind, it's really nothing."
"Come on, what is it?"
"Well, I love being with him, but he has this really annoying habit."
"Yeah..."
"He likes to, um, get high once in a while."
"Oh, I didn't know that bothered you."
"Well it doesn't really, except that he likes to smoke before showering, and because of his, uh, state, he's a little careless and ends up getting water all over the bathroom floor."
"Really, he gets that careless?"
"Well, we also don't have the best shower curtain. But I'm careful and get much less water on the floor."
"So, ask him to be more careful."
"I did, but he denies there is a problem; he says I'm being neurotic. Anyway, we had a big fight about it last night and we haven't made up yet"
"Are you sure it's because he gets high?"
'Yes I'm sure, he's so neat in every other situation. I'm right on this one, aren't I?"
"Well..."
"Oh come on..."
"Look, intermittent slovenliness is part of the bargain when you live with someone who gets high. It comes with the territory and you should have known that going in."
"Really?"
"Sure. If you were living with an alcoholic, and you were okay with his drinking, could you justifiably be intolerant of the way he talks too loud, or thinks he's a much better singer than he actually is?"
The conversation just trailed off from there. Sure, it was completely pointless, and not pointless in a funny way. In fact, I cannot come up with a single reason why I should be sharing this with you. No, you cannot have the last five minutes of your life back.