Conversations with C: Speaking in Tongues

I'm consistently surprised by how often my transition gives seemingly mundane conversations an undercurrent of levity that only I can appreciate.

Well, only me for now, at least. :c)

Last night I had just finished taking a shower and was sitting in the back room watching the Red Sox (welcome back, Youk!!!) when my 19-year-old nephew, C, sauntered in and flopped into the chair across from me. 

(Well, he's 6'-2" and 210 lbs, so perhaps "flopped" is not totally correct; "launched" seems more accurate.)

Anyway, C bounces into the chair, tears open a one pound bag of pretzels (an hour after eating his second dinner of the evening), and watches the game with me in silence for several minutes.

Suddenly he looks over at me.

"Wow, your hair is mad long!" he said.

I am not totally up on the lingo of 19-year-olds today, but... yeah, it is getting mad long. :c) It's curly, so it's hard to tell, but it seems to have gone into overdrive the last few months.

I shrugged noncommittally.

"Nana thinks you should get it cut like me," he said a moment later, running his hand over his close-cropped hair.

("Nana" is my mother, who makes it clear on a daily basis to anyone who asks - and even those who don't - that she dislikes my long hair.)

"Uh-uh," I said, shaking my head mock-vigorously.

C's eyes grew wide.

"Dude, it's touching your shoulders!" he said.

I reached back... and it was. Barely, but it was. It was still damp and hadn't begun to scrunch back up, so it was hanging down.

He looked at me for a moment.

"You should grow it longer," he said decisively.

"Really?" I asked him.

"Uh-huh," he said. "It looks good."

He stood up.

"Besides, girls really like long hair, you know."

I was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"So I'm told," I replied with a poker face.

He nodded in reply.

"Later," he said.

"Later," I replied.

Transitioning can be fun sometimes. :c)

***

Postscript: He ate the entire bag of pretzels while we spoke.

***

Here are a few more of the acts I am super-psyched to see at next week's Newport Folk Festival. First up is the next great blues axeman, Gary Clark Jr., from his appearance on David Letterman just before Christmas last year:

He has an EP out; cannot wait for the full album!

Here's the Sunday headliner - and festival closer:

Useless music-geek trivia: He wrote the song on a piano with faulty action, which led to that distinctive piano riff. You can now rest easily for the remainder of the evening.