When you're walking into work and hear someone shouting into her mobile phone "Do you want me to tell you the truth? Do you? Do you?",
it's really hard not to slow down and listen in. I can't think of many
other overheard phrases which give equally strong signals that the
following exchange is going to contain something interesting, and this
was no exception. Obviously the other party in the conversation wanted
to hear the truth, so here it is:
You are a pathetic little man with no ambition in life.
Pathetic!
I would have preferred to hear more but even my slow pace carried me
out of earshot a little too quickly (and as another pathetic little man
with no ambition in life, I feared that her rage would turn toward me
if I lingered too long). Still, it made up for the vast majority of
overheard mobile phone conversations which are a bit less entertaining
(mostly something like I'm on the bus. The bus. THE BUS!
and the like). If I ever see her again, maybe I'll introduce her to a
less-pathetic, larger man with at least a little bit of ambition. If I
can think of anyone who fits the bill.