Whooooosh

I like to think I’m pretty much up to speed on contemporary culture, but in all actuality I just get sidetracked by the nerdy things and am generally unable to follow a simple conversation with the average normie.

Case in point.

Today Carl and I are walking back from the city with a mutual friend Sarah, also an American. Somehow we’d gotten on the topic of ripping on Wal-Mart, and she’s telling us stories of all the ridiculous trash that can be bought there. Her prime example is a ring-bearer’s pillow. Just imagine that: buying a ring-bearer’s pillow, at Wal-Mart of all places.

Here Carl and I get really puzzled, but don’t say anything right away, because we don’t want to betray our evident lack of knowledge to Sarah. Finally I venture, “Maybe they kneeled on something at the Council of Elrond?”

And that’s that. I guess I should get to studying—on more levels than one.