I learned it on TV

 

Are you the kind of person who remembers any kind of information you hear, read or watch on TV? It is a very useful ability you can use for social purposes. In my case, since I have a bit of an autistic nature, I use this type of information to socialize. I discovered long time ago that it is easy for me to socialize when I am sharing some piece of information I have collected in my brain. Sometimes it is very irrelevant information, but it saves you from having an uncomfortable moment of silence, especially in a conversation with strangers.

I remember one occasion, going home by taxi during the rush hour. It was an Autumn Day after 7 PM, there was a big traffic jam, and I was far from home, so I knew the trip was going to take some time. The moment I started to despair about being stuck in the taxi, I decided to do something about it. I began a silly conversation with the driver, you know……”it seems we have a heavy traffic today” I said…..when he answered, I noticed that he had an accent, so I asked him where he was from. He said he was from Perú, and then he added proudly that he was a descendant of a Peruvian aboriginal tribe called Chachapoyas. That piece of information sounded like music to my ears.

I immediately remember a cultural TV program hosted by the American anthropologist Josh Bernstein.

One of the episodes of that program was about the origin and culture of Chachapoyas. From that moment on, I felt totally relieved, and the trip became a lot less stressful. I told the taxi driver all the information I remembered about his tribe.

I could talk to him during the whole trip. I even had more information about Chachapoyas than the driver hahaha. I also recommended him to watch the TV program. In the end, I had a happy trip home, it even felt as if it took less time to get home. That was thanks to Josh Bersntein and his TV program hahaha.

Now, it is your turn to tell your story....

Are you a sociable person?

What kind of information do you use to talk to strangers?

Is it easy for you to remember information learned on your daily life?

When did you last use information collected informally in a conversation?

What kind of information do you remember easily?