The First Interrogation

So, I have finally asked my first person "what are you thinking?" As you can judge from the length of time between my working up the courage to ask this question of a random stranger and my creation of this blog, posts will probably be far and few between. However, the question will hopefully become easier to ask and I will be able to post with more frequency. 

It was a Wednesday morning, and I had an assignment for my Spanish class to view the artwork by Izel Vargas that was being displayed  in the Sarratt Gallery. After perusing, and becoming thoroughly convinced that I would not be able to write critically about his work, I found a comfy armchair near a window, sat down, and proceeded to read some pages of my geology book. As I was reading, a girl walked over with her lunch, set it on the coffee table in front of us, and sat in the armchair northeast of me. There were three chairs in the arrangement, the one I was sitting in facing the side of the table, an empty one to my right that was angled facing the corner of the table, and the one in which she was sitting, facing what to me was the right side of the table. I thought to myself, this would be a perfect opportunity to ask the "thinking" question for my blog. Having made my decision, I decided to read about isostasy a little longer, and allow my prey to munch some more fries before I requested knowledge of her thoughts. I finished the chapter, returned the book to my bag, and had only a second to consider she might find me to be nuisance before the question leapt from my tongue.The conversation went a little something like this (words in parenthesis are my thoughts during the conversation):

Me: What are you thinking?

Girl: Huh?

Me: What are you thinking?

Girl: Oh, nothing. (of course she'd say that; thoughts are personal; at least she isn't mad) Just waiting to sign up for art class.

Me: (oh, is that what that line was for?) Oh. That's cool. Do you have to sign up like that for all art classes?

Girl: Um. No. I think maybe just the night classes. Not sure. Are you a freshman?

Me: Yes. Are you a senior?

Girl: Yea.

Me: Oh. Are you an art major?

Girl: No, I'm just trying to fill up extra time with some fun stuff. Get rid of stress.

Me: Oh. That's cool. (lucky seniors with all their extra time)

Girl: Are you in A&S?

Me: Yea, I think I'm gonna double major in theatre and film studies.

Girl: Oh, that's nice.

Me: Are you in A&S?

Girl: No, I'm in the engineering school.

Me: Oh. Wow. So, what are you gonna do when you leave?

Girl: -Um. I think I'm gonna apply to graduate school and then hopefully get a job.

Me: Oh. wow. Must be kinda-

Girl: Yea, I'm kinda nervous. Like, I'm ready to go, but at the same time it's the "real world."

Me: Yea. Scary.

Girl: Well, I'm gonna go stand in line; it was nice talking to you, though.

Me: Yea, it was nice talking to you too.

Girl: Good luck with you're major.

Me: Thanks and good luck with...life.

Girl: haha, thanks.

And that's it. That's how it all happened. Kind of anti-climatic, right? But, it was still cool that a whole conversation developed from one simple sentence. The best part was that I didn't have to work to continue the conversation. She seemed just as willing to talk as I was to listen, not like she was giving me her life story, but rather like she was appreciative to have human interaction, just as I was. So, I hope she meant it when she said it was nice talking, 'cause I think it was. It was nice that two people who don't know eachother's name and will probably not cross paths again were, for however long or short a time, traveling the same path together.