Coming back from a party recently, I had a blinding flash of the obvious. After all of these years, like in the comic books, a lightbulb appeared above my head. Practically all of the conversations at parties are about the same old stuff: Movies. Marriages. Kids. Pets. Vacations. Sports. Celebrities. The most recent national disaster.
Sometime partygoers venture into more learned subjects, such as the thirteen tombs of the Ming Dynasty or the big bang theory of the universe. But most conversation is mundane and very, very predictable. That’s super news for Shys. Pondering my dazzling discovery, ShyBuster #54 was born.
Make a mental list of all of the possible subjects that could come up at a party. Check the Internet to become informed on each. If the subject relates to current events, scan the headlines from your favorite media. A television newscast? Radio? Newspaper? Don’t wait until the conversation to frame your thoughts on the latest political scandal or celebrity divorce. Formulate your philosophy on these earth-shattering events ahead of time. If you wait to do it on the spot, the gang will be dishing some other dirt by the time you open your mouth.