Philosophy22 May 2005 10:37 pm
Tell me, is it really necessary to do the following:
You have visitors in your Sunday School class. So you go around the circle and everybody states their name. Come on! And of course it goes lightning quick with everybody starting immediately after the last guy. So it comes out something like this:
I’m Joe WeaverJacob StoltzfusFred MillerHenry YoderSteve HochstetlerFrank MulletEbenezer MillfaustDavid Schrock.
Now that is helpful!
At least promise me this, you’ll put a little pause in before you state your name. Then maybe the visitor’s head won’t be spinning quite so fast after the gibberish has whipped around the circle.
7 Responses
May 23rd, 2005 at 8:53 am
I share your irritation. If that’s all the mumbling they’re going to mutter, it’s not worth the hassle.
Don’t you think the problem is pride? They’re afraid that they’ll do something somebody will think is stupid, so they play it safe (think the Hot Potato scenario here: get-this-done-as-quick-as-possible-and-get-everybody’s-eyes-on-the-next-guy) and mumble almost unintelligibly to avoid an embarrassment. I think it’s pride, nothing less, and I think it stinks.
May 23rd, 2005 at 10:02 am
Not from what I’ve seen, I think it’s more just “let’s hurry up and get this over with!” ‘Cause it’s kinda dumb.
I mean, I don’t think much of it when I’m a visitor either. Unless of course there is one person you think you might know and want to know their name, then if you concentrate real hard you may be able to pick it up as it whips around the circle.
May 23rd, 2005 at 7:04 pm
“Unless of course there is one person you think you might know and want to know their name, then if you concentrate real hard you may be able to pick it up as it whips around the circle.”
I can identify with that. It’s always easy to remember that pretty girl’s name.
May 23rd, 2005 at 7:05 pm
*grin*
May 24th, 2005 at 10:35 am
OK Tom, I relent a little. I had some specific incidents in my mind when I wrote that.
But yes, it does seem rather useless…
Evidently your readers are all thinking about this whole guy/girl stuff. It’s popping up everywhere.
May 24th, 2005 at 11:09 am
Dave, I totally agree with you. And Tom too. I think for different people, it’s different motivations, or even a combo.
I’m actually a bit embarassed that that (remembering pretty girls’ names) seems to be my natural tendency. It’s not really fair…
May 24th, 2005 at 4:08 pm
Well Hans, it means you’re human. Not too much to be embarrassed about there.