Overheard on chairlifts

Isn't it amazing that some folks have big mouths and can't stop using them to impress others? This still happens often enough when I ride a chairlift with strangers. Most of the time, though, my fellow passengers are normal, nice people and we strike a conversation or even simply exchange a few words and that exchange is generally pleasant and sometimes downright enjoyable.

However, when some “big mouth” happens to sit on the bench and wants the world to know about how cool he is, it's a matter of time before I hear stupid words coming out of his mouth. The man (yes, it generally is an alpha male) opens his mouth and begins telling those within hearing range about all the things he knows or has accomplished, and these are generally pretty unbelievable or exaggerated.

That's the moment when I do my best to remain quiet, shut up, listen and put to the test a wonderful quote by Alfred Capus, that French, nineteen century writer: “the kind man smiles as he listens about things he knows well, that are told by someone who ignore them..” Once, settled in that mental retrenchment I hear all kinds of absurdities and smile or laugh internally during what feels like a very short and quite entertaining ride after all...