It’s not that I’m not listening to what you’re actually saying.
It’s just that,
if whatever phrasing you use is remotely similar to song lyrics I know
[and I know quite a few],
there is this little mechanism in my brain that momentarily taps into that memory.

Perhaps this is why I would get much more out of life if it were an actual Broadway musical.
[Even though Life: The Musical would probably somehow get bought out by Disney.]
Until that happens, I relish in the brief moments of musical happenstance.

Case in Point!

The Time: Yesterday at approximately 3:35 pm.
The Place: Best Buy’s warehouse
The Players: Jenn, Chad, and one of our District Managers

Because I’m basically biding my time at Best Buy, I tend to zone out a lot of management.  I guess “zone out” isn’t the right word. I pay attention.  I even understand what they are attempting to do.  But sometimes I feel like I’m viewing it objectively, outside of my body, like I’m watching a parody of actual leadership on TV.  I just can’t seem to get with the program.  Yesterday, for example, our District Manager was getting super pumped about some technological advancement for counting inventory.  He was making these big, exciting gestures, and I was thinking, “Wow. Look at him go. If I actually cared about this, I would be really psyched right now.”

And then, out of the background, early 80s rock, a la Joe Walsh:

“Sometimes…
I can’t help the feeling that I’m
living a life of illusion…”**

And I laughed to myself,
because the planets were neatly aligned in this:
the perfect soundtrack to this moment.

** Life of Illusion by Joe Walsh, which will forever remind me of the opening scenes of The 40 Year-Old Virgin.