Those words began a post, published several months ago, that illustrates what P.G. Wodehouse (yes, him again) calls buzzing. I have a lot in common with one of his fictional characters called Psmith. The P is silent, just as in Psummer. Wodehouse describes Psmith as a 'buzzer'. Describes me pretty well too.
"Yes, I know," I said.
Not a response that I'm proud of but I never seem to have exactly the right thing to say when put on the spot. It's an art. Planning is of the essence.
Buzzing requires no planning at all. Simply talking will do, as long as it's loud and non-stop. Smashing words and metaphors together in strange ways can be counted on to get people worked up too. The purpose is to start something that will result in laughter or excitement and prevent boredom at all costs.
"Don't talk so much in the marketing meetings," my project manager said. "You get people get off topic and the meeting gets away from me."
Adding humor to the buzz can be a powerful sort of bomb that allows you to blow your boring life sky-high whenever you've had all you can take. And yet, it's quiet, disturbing practically no one, and doesn't leave a mess for you to clean up later.
Brian Green, the author of Until the End of Time, is convinced that all human behavior is driven by our realization that life comes to an end. But it's not true for the Genomes.
Although I experience the full spectrum of emotions ranging from depression to high anxiety to hypo-mania, it's not because I know I'm going to die one day. It's really because I know that life can become boring, often without warning.
The practice I've adopted to keep life interesting is to talk early and often. Sometimes I take on facial expressions and adopt body language that augments my speech, but there are times, like writing The Circular Journey, when I only have words.
In the blog posts, I resort to jumbling words and mixing myths and metaphors. I fumble with common expressions, and misquote authors, poets, and songwriters. Anything to get people's attention.
Another example of the buzz in my writing comes from that same post referenced in the first paragraph of this one. It reads like this:
It was Princess Amy at the wheel, of course. She loves to make an entrance in a whirlwind of drama. You realize, I hope, that she wasn't literally driving a van. An almond-shaped cluster of brain cells can't get a driver's license in the Carolinas. You know that.
For you, that paragraph may barely rate something like a 'meh' but for me, it's priceless.
It may seem to those who don't know me well, that my verbal skids are accidental or the result of not paying attention in class. But, those who are regular visitors know that, in truth, it's all intentional.
Some writers stick to the facts and dig right down deep into life without giving a damn. On the other hand, I like to approach writing as a sort of musical comedy, without music, and ignore physical reality altogether.
What I write is always true, if not completely factual. The words I use carry meaning, even though one must sometimes search for it. I never intend to mislead my audience. Everything I do is intended to bring a smile, and even when I do write drivel (Yes, I do. Not proud of it.) those words too are intentionally chosen to lighten the mood.
Buzzing is not without its risks. Some people consider buzzers a type of anarchist, one who behaves outside the acceptable norms of a sensible society. The offended person may be inclined to take steps. Risky for the buzzer when that happens.
I've been accused of buzzing because I want to be the center of attention. Come to think of it, who doesn't? But that's not the whole truth. I buzz to excite amusing conversations to liven things up. The best of those conversations take place without the usual societal constraints, but don't be alarmed, there is seldom a downside.
"Genome always gets lost in public when we're on business trips," my manager explained to our client host.
"We usually find him talking to a complete stranger in the hotel lobby, in a coffee shop, out on the street; you never know where he'll be but it's guaranteed he'll be talking to someone."
It was one of the dullest apologies I ever heard. All he had to say was, "You know how these things happen," and then wait to see what the host would say next.
If the result of my buzzing is nothing more than causing someone to become engaged in happy thoughts and breezy chatter, it's enough.
In closing, I'd like to provide one more example of buzzing from a previous post to illustrate how mere words can lift my spirit, eliminate boredom, and make the whole damn thing worth it. Enjoy:
On hearing her words, I had the momentary illusion that I'd been struck by lightning. I felt an infusion of spirit that seemed to fill me to the bursting point. I felt like a man living the dream as another day in Paradise unfolds. And I liked it.