When my daughter was at school in LA, she turned me on to an Instagram account called Overheard LA, full of floofy, occasionally snarky, but always spot-on LA-speak.
‘How far you’re willing to drive is how much you care. I’d drive to Pasadena for some people, but I wouldn’t drive 10 blocks for him.’
‘How was your audition?’ ‘Dude. You don’t audition for a marketing job.’
And my all-time favorite: (Woman walking past a child sprawled on the ground in full tantrum) ‘Look, Marvin. Child’s pose!’
Maybe we need an Overheard Franklin. Working in a customer-facing job, I have definitely overheard some winners. For example:
‘I want a wine that tastes like grapes’.
Me, describing the fruit flavors of a rosé: ‘Sort of strawberry raspberry-ish’. Customer: ‘Oh, but I’m allergic to raspberries’.
At a gin & tonic tasting: ‘I don’t really like any of these gins. When are you going to do the vodka gins?’
‘Do you have the wine with a flower on the label?’
Or (kid to Mom): ‘Are you going to drink ALL those bottles?!! You only let me get ONE soda…’
Of course, these are the outliers. Less attention-grabbing, but far more satisfying: ‘I always love your recommendations’. ‘I just love your shop.’ ‘Thanks for letting me bring my dog in’. ‘You’ve taught me so much about wine.’ These people are why we come to work every day.
Thanks for playing.