When I arrived to lunch with my new book group most of the men were already there and the conversation had already turned to health issues. Frank, my friend who I’d come in with, leaned over and said soto voce “Oh good we’ve arrived in time for the organ recital.” In thinking about the topics that usually come up in conversations with my peers I was able to create this list:

• Weather report
• Organ recital
• Sports News
• Traffic Report
• State of the Union
• Where the bargains are.
• Cruising and Travelogues
• The Police Report
• And: “It’s not like it used to be.”

It sounds like the TV nightly news except personalized. I don’t bother with the News on TV because it is redundant and not useful. I feel the same way unfortunately about many conversations with my group.