Pennies for Sale

Standing in line at mozart's and dreading the upcoming work i was determined to put into my research paper, i observed a couple, obviously in the first couple of dates stage, make horrific small talk. all first date small talk is painful to watch and overhear, but this was especially bad as it was not only awkward, but spoken by two of the most vacuous people i've had the joy to come across. looking into the bakery case, the fratty boy touted the merits of mozart's cheesecake in such a cocky voice that my as always out of control eyebrows (which insinuate things of their own free will) furrowed involuntarily and my face took on a look of pure horror.

on the way home and still addled from caffeine and multiple sugar packets, i pondered what i usually tend to ponder when i come upon such a scene: what do two rather blank, empty-headed people talk about when they're in a relationship? it reminded me of that scene in annie hall.

[Alvy addresses a pair of strangers on the street]
Alvy Singer: Here, you look like a very happy couple, um, are you?
Female street stranger: Yeah.
Alvy Singer: Yeah? So, so, how do you account for it?
Female street stranger: Uh, I'm very shallow and empty and I have no ideas and nothing interesting to say.
Male street stranger: And I'm exactly the same way.
Alvy Singer: I see. Wow. That's very interesting. So you've managed to work out something?

so i suppose in the end, people end up with a person who's on their level, and they manage to work out something, however hard that is to comprehend for me. and in the end, i always come to the same conclusion of honestly, who am i to judge what anyone does in any relationship? we all do what we have to do to get by, and we all find some solution to keep us temporarily, or who knows, permanently, happy. we get hurt, we make mistakes, but at least we tried and did it how we thought we should've.

in his last lines from the film, woody allen/alvy singer sums it up pretty well.

Alvy Singer: [narrating] After that it got pretty late, and we both had to go, but it was great seeing Annie again. I... I realized what a terrific person she was, and... and how much fun it was just knowing her; and I... I, I thought of that old joke, y'know, the, this... this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, "Doc, uh, my brother's crazy; he thinks he's a chicken." And, uh, the doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?" The guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs." Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships; y'know, they're totally irrational, and crazy, and absurd, and... but, uh, I guess we keep goin' through it because, uh, most of us... need the eggs.

it's a complex thing, but everyone, including the vacuous, needs a little dairy in their life.