Written by Since I really wasn’t sure what to paint for our prompt of “fresh” today, I looked over and noticed my glass of water sitting there and thought it would work. My glass was sitting on the windowsill with light streaming through it and looked kind of cool. Although, I soon discovered it was devilishly difficult to paint, but my mind was already made up. A tall drink of water is an old-fashioned phrase used to describe a tall thin man, usually handsome, but originally this wasn’t a requirement. As idioms go, it’s a bit weird and doesn’t make a ton of sense. Literally translated it would mean, “My you’re quite tall, I’d really like to drink you!” which is equally disturbing and not something you’d like to hear from a stranger at a party. Or anyone really, it’s just odd. Versions include a “long drink of water” which is worse, and a “cool drink of water” which is marginal, but still sounds a bit ridiculous. Telling someone they’re tall is like reminding a blind person they can’t see. I”m certain in both cases, they’re already perfectly aware of it.
Even updated phrases are a bit silly and it’s why I don’t like crowds where “small talk” might occur. I’ve never been good at this and am still not sure how to do it properly. It’s a form of talking while making quite sure you’ve completed the conversation saying absolutely nothing at all. In business meetings with a bunch of men, the conversation often turns to sports, which means nothing to me. If I say, “I don’t watch sports” the room turns to me stunned like I just said, “I like to murder small animals.” The good part is that while heads around me are exploding, the conversation blissfully ends. I’ve never been one to pretend to be something I’m not in order to fit in. I’ve never really had a desire to fit in. It seemed like a waste of perfectly good creativity to blindly act like everyone around me. I don’t find comfort in it at all. No, for me, being happy is just bouncing along being whatever you really are knowing that you’ll eventually bounce into someone who appreciates you that way.
I’ve been this way since I was a child when my poor mother would coax me to participate with specific children in the neighborhood. For some reason adults seem to think a bunch of young kids the same age should get on perfectly fine. As if being the same age was enough to have in common. It’s not. “Why don’t you play with Michael? He’s your age!” my mom would say. “I don’t like him,” I’d reply. “He only talks about dodge ball and smells like burnt cheese.” It wasn’t like the adults were held to those expectations. “Oh, my you’re 46? I’m 46! I had no idea we had so much in common!” Looking back, I was probably just a pain in the ass, and I’ve now learned that everyone has something to teach me, even when our interests don’t quite line up. But I’ll always gravitate towards creative people. They have a fresh perspective and share that inability to fully fit the norm. Even if they try, they’ll still be standing just outside the crowd and that’s the person I’ll head to first if I’m actually at a party. And then the talk is never small and always refreshing, like a tall glass of water.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Cobalt Turquoise, Terra Cotta and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. |
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Charlie, you’ve totally captured the beauty of sunlight streaming through glass! Amazing. I indulge in metaphors and not-quite metaphors and I love them, but I admit I’m not much for small talk. I much prefer talking online where no one can interrupt me, lol!
Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕 haha! I love that… yeah that’s definitely a benefit to online talking. hehe
After yesterday’s post, I was looking to see what you were going to do with perspective today. I like that you’ve used a cone shape to bring the top of the glass closer to us, but I can see from the shadow that the glass is actually a cylinder. The colorful sunlight makes for a happy painting!
Thanks so much, Ruth! 😃💕 Yeah, I’m going to be trying when I can to capture tougher perspectives. Glad you liked this one!
Neither my husband nor my son (age 28) watch sports, which they find incredibly boring. Like you, they can shut off a stupid conversation pretty fast! Love your glass of water – so cool and blue.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 hehe… I think it’s totally cool that people get into sports, but they shouldn’t expect others to care as deeply as they do! lol
Hehehe, I’ll meet you at the edges of any party, Charlie. I’m always there, smiling and wondering who I next have to pretend to understand. Small talk is excruciating. I probably look like a deer in headlights most of the time when someone I don’t know and don’t understand tries to make small talk. Now, get me talking about paint… ;o)
That glass of water looked so totally refreshing. Gotta go put some ice in a glass!
Thanks so much, Jennifer! 😃💕 I’m sure we’d have a fun conversation at the edge of the party. hehe… yeah… small talk is an art I have no desire to master.
hey charlie, did you know your profile doesn’t come up when I click on your picture? I had wanted to send you a message but can’t get onto your page.
Arggh! I thought that was only happening to me, but now see it only appears for people who aren’t logged in. Added to the list of mysterious things I hope a developer can fix. 😉
Surprise,,,you chose glass 😀and as always did it beautifully…
Thanks, Pamela! 😃💕 hehe… any chance I can to sneak in something transparent, shiny or reflective!
Excellent & FRESH!
Thanks so much, Violeta! 😃💕
You and I have nothing in common yet we’re still friends, at least on this blog. Although, I’ve always loved art and I’m also the one standing alone, unable to define a single sport, and maybe smelling like burnt cheese.
As for the tall glass of water – I think you really know the reference. It was original and striking a million years ago – now it just sends me to get more ice. And your painting is beautiful. I always love turquoise – can’t you tell?
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 Turquoise is one of my faves as well. I’m sure we’d get on just fine chatting at the edge of the party.
I’m with you Charlie. I despise small talk! It sucks the energy out of me faster than just about anything. Quite frankly I’d rather be at the farm shoveling horse manure than at a party shoveling fake!
haha!! So well and graphically put, Beverly!! 😃💕 I totally agree!! Love it!
So awesome Charlie! I really need to challenge myself to paint more glass and shiny bits this year. Oh and I don’t do sports either!! 😝
Yay! I knew we had a lot in common, Tom! 😃💕 And yes you should totally try more glass and shiny bits. It’s super fun!
Oh, wow! That’s a wonderful bit of fresh in a glass!
I’ve always thought that when one woman said to another, ” That’s a nice, tall drink of water!” that she was really saying that’s a tall bit of something refreshing, meaning that there was something different and appealing about the person she was describing. But then, maybe that’s just me. 😉
Thanks, Susan! 😃💕 I’m sure it’s something like that… hehe… it originally just meant “tall” according to what I looked up. I think people added meaning to it so it wasn’t so silly! lol
Charlie, I hope you eventually found like-minded autistic people to hang out with, as that seems to be more your crowd!
Yes! Like-minded people always seem to gravitate toward one another! 😉