28 Nov A Coffee Clash
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A couple has just gotten coffee at Joe’s. He is outside; she is standing in the doorway. I’ve stopped walking for a minute so my dog can investigate things nearby, so I watch the couple.
“There’s a table inside,” she says. At the end of this sentence which could be a statement she puts a question.
“Let’s sit outside,” he says. At the end of this sentence which could be a question he puts a period.
The language of their bodies is evident, as well.
As she ends her sentence she leans out the door toward him, one arm extended behind her.
As he ends his sentence he turns his back to her, propping his coffee on a parking meter while he stirs it.
A minute passes. She stands at the doorway holding her coffee. He doesn’t turn around.
Soon they are sitting on the bench next to the parking meter.
I feel like more has been communicated than where to drink the coffee.
With a satisfied shake and a little pull, my dog lets me know that he is ready to move on.
Words are sometimes the least potent of our communication devices.