Free Conversation Booth

Last Saturday when I was in Belmont Shore, In a tent, on the sidewalk, under the fluorescent lights of a Washington Mutual bank building, six people sit huddled around a small table discussing the a recent Olympic scandal on Saturday night. Behind them, a sign reads “Free Conversation Booth.” Picture a lively, democratic version of Lucy’s “Psychiatric Help” booth in the “Peanuts” cartoons.

I laughed as I walked by. Who in there right mind would set up a free conversation booth? After a good chuckle, I thought well wait a minute, maybe that booth is smarter than it seems. I mean think about it, most people in Los Angeles are transplants from somewhere else. A lot of people who move here can find it very hard to talk to people for the first time, it’s a lot nicer than going into a bar. I then thought what could I talk about in a free conversation booth? Laundry and how I loathe doing it? My garbage disposal stopped working last week, I'm sure many can relate to that one. Maybe I could discuss how Costco and I have this love hate relationship, because they keep discontinuing my favorite products like, Boston leaf lettuce and wheat pasta. Oh but those $1.50 hotdogs, it makes me forgive them every time. Like a puppy with the puppydog look who just peed on your rug.

Perhaps a free conversation booth doesn’t want to hear how I compare a peeing puppy to Costco, but I would hope that they allow open conversation for a wide variety of topics. Politics, religion, and politics can get so heated. Second Street in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach offers the kind of diverse crowd and walk-by traffic that can bring all sorts of interesting conversations. I say don’t forget the comedy in life! Viva La Vida!