Do You Rehearse Real-Life Conversations?

       Have you ever practiced something you were going to say to someone?  I have, often.  If I'm the least nervous, or afraid I'll say the wrong thing and blow a relationship, or fail to persuade on something I really want to happen, I'll go over it imagining the situation and trying out what I'll say.

       Caught myself doing that tonight on something pretty unimportant, but still . . .

       The car needs an oil change, plus windshield washer checked and refilled.  Then I remembered, if it's Santos who does the job, he always fills my tires with air, which is nice, but Santos always puts in maximum air, and the tight tires jolt the hell out of me over slightest bumps for the next several weeks, if not months:


       "Oh, and Santos . . ."

       "Yeah?"

       "I know when you finish, you always pump up my tires, which I appreciate, but could you hold off something short of maximum?   I really don't care if I don't get good mileage on 'em or they don't last as long as they should.  The car's old, and I'm old, and I need as smooth a ride as I can get."


       That'll do it . . . I hope.