Coffee Shop

Having coffee with friends at the local McDonald's is a ritual I enjoy. Today, I experienced something that had not happened before. After I had talked with Floyd and Paul for about ten minutes, Floyd got up and bought a newspaper. Upon returning he offered a portion to me, I declined and stated I had not "read" a newspaper for 35 years. He opened the paper, passed the front part to Paul, obtained the colored Automobile Adds and proceded to look them over. We were in silence while the reading went on. I asked myself, "Was our conversation so dull that looking over automobile adds beat out what we would discuss?" I asked Floyd "Do you look over those adds often?" "Oh yes" he replied. "Every day?" I inquired. "Yeah" he said. Hmmmm. "Do you always check these adds when you get a paper?" "Pretty much, I like to see what is available and the prices." All the while he did not take his eyes off the paper continuing the scanning. I asked: "Do those adds change much from day-to-day?" "No, they are pretty much the same all the time." Hmmmm. Floyd, for a living, prepares bodies for the funeral home. He does not converse with anyone while he works. Could this just be his manner as carried over from his work? Paul had not heard a word, so engrossed in the story he was reading. I looked around and at another table were four others I have conversed with before, they were all talking. I longed to be at the other table. I wondered, how did I get hooked up here with these two ignoramouses? I really must be more careful with whom I sit.