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Anybody talk fluent wino?

Grimlockus_Prime

16:13 / 22.04.05

Anybody here speak fluent wino? I was sitting in the subway yesterday and saw some old bum looking bearded guy jabbering for himself. And this is not the first one i have seen doing it. Who/what are they talking to?
Are they so conked out they are not understanding they are speaking to some myriad old memories? Are they telling the hallucination spiders to stop playing tango? Are they just mumbling to keep their jaws warm? Telling the Grays to go away before somebody else notices? What? Who? Why?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

16:44 / 22.04.05

Why don't you ask them?

Personally, when I'm talking to myself it's usually because a superabundance of alcohol has melted down the barriers in my mind between me and all those memories one has to repress in order to go on believing in the Biggest Lie Of All: "I'm one of the good guys/I'm in control."

I try not to do it in public but I imagine something not too different is going on.

Whisky Priestess

17:37 / 22.04.05

When I'm very very distracted or thinking about two things at once I sometimes say what I'm thinking out loud. And then catch myself. I think it could be an extreme example of drunken disinhibition.

Or there's always glossolalia

Grimlockus_Prime

19:54 / 22.04.05

Ask them? No way. It would just end up in the wino asking me for money or cigs. They love to do that without me encouraging them.

Or maybe they would tell me the secret of the universe.

Or maybe not...
Ok. Now im tired.

Anyway. I think both of your theories sound valid. It just one day started to itch my mind. Because most of the lone speakers seem to have their own logic in the private conversation. Unless they decide to preachg about Sokrates or ancient Greek mythology to the fellow passengers(seen that once).

ibis the being

20:25 / 22.04.05

Okay, I know I'm going to regret this post, but I've been resisting all day and my will has broken down.

Grimlockus, do you realize that a lot of people living on the street are there because they're mentally ill and have not received treatment for their illnesses (for a myriad of reasons)? I mean, I realize you're trying to be humorous or something, but there's a good chance that "old bum looking bearded guy jabbering for himself" is schizophrenic or similarly disabled, and that's not all that hilarious.

I'm sorry to be a big giant droopy wet blanket and everything, but this thread topic has for whatever reason crawled right up my ass today.

w1rebaby

20:33 / 22.04.05

Or has one or more of the possible forms of brain damage that can result from alcohol. Or is talking to himself because he finds that he's basically fucking invisible to the thousands of people walking past him every day and the only person who'll speak to him is himself.

Spatula Clarke

20:42 / 22.04.05

Can somebody please check the quality control on the new members production line? They forgot to stick a brain in this one.

lekvar

20:45 / 22.04.05

Mental illness? Brain damage? I always thought they were engaged in Burroughs-esq linguistic cut-ups. You mean I shouldn't be enjoying their antics as I would any other street perfomer? Damn!

(actually, engaging them in conversation can be quite amusing in the above-mentioned Burroughs-esq way. Freedom from rational thought can lead to some astounding utterances.)

Less searchable M0rd4nt

20:49 / 22.04.05

Just in case: What I was trying to suggest in my post is that we can all behave in odd/eccentric ways when placed under certain kinds of stress or other impairment and maybe we can reflect upon times when this has happened in order to achieve some mesure of empathy with people whose mental health needs are affecting their behaviour to a degree which sets them outside of normal society (normal in invisible quotes).

Alex's Grandma

22:24 / 22.04.05

Grimlockus P,

Until you've at least 'tried' driving that Brandon Lee poster off to somewhere deep in the woods and then leaving it there, I'm not sure if you're totally qualified to comment on anyone else's sanity, or otherwise, TBH, dude.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

10:15 / 23.04.05

Well... Grimlockus has asked us, so I suppose, somewhat inevitably, it must fall to me to ask him for money or cigs.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

10:26 / 23.04.05

I think I'll ask him for his shoes. It's never worked yet but today might be the day.

Spaniel

10:28 / 23.04.05

First Barbespank, Grimlock.

Learn and grow.

Alex's Grandma

10:51 / 23.04.05

Antichrist Superstoat;

You're a winner, not a sinner, for fuck's sake.

Repeat it quietly, almost a mantra on the bus or wherever

Whisky Priestess

11:32 / 23.04.05

Sorry, I should clarify too that I ws trying to think of explanations that didn't include mental illness, just because I was pretty sure that would have already occurred ... maybe not.

LykeX

11:52 / 23.04.05

Ok, I'll just come out and say it: I talk to myself. All day, every day. I try my best not to freak people out with it, but I'm not always aware of it when I do it.
I just do it because it helps me think. I'm basically thinking out loud. Also, it's easier for me to understand something myself, if I pretend like I'm explaining it to someone else.

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