Buffer people

Buffer people are very important to polite society.

Anyone can be a buffer. Sometimes they are aware of their buffer status, and other times they are not. The requirements to being a buffer actually have nothing to do with the buffer--it has to do with whether there are difficult people around, and by difficult people, I mean people who are really, really, really hard to tolerate. For even 5 minutes.

Some difficult people are difficult because they just talk crazy all the time. People who carry on about extreme politics or religion in a room full of people who are obviously moderate. People who use the words blackie and fruitcake for blacks and gays and think that is perfectly ok. I have an uncle like this.

There are also difficult people who just talk, and talk, and talk. And don't get it that they are blathering on to the point that the listeners eyes are glazing over and they are slipping into a coma of boredom. Un-PC uncle mentioned above has a wife like this.

Or difficult people are those who are chronically cranky, never happy about anything, easily pissed off. Or difficult people are those who gets their feelings easily hurt by even the slightest tease. This is like the person who's home we are going to this weekend for a birthday party.

And there will be no buffer people around! I'm not sure how this is gonna go down.

Being around moody, cranky, overly sensitive difficult people is like walking with nail shoes in a field of eggs under which landmines are buried. No fun.

It is only one afternoon, though, right? I can do it! I can do it! I will survive.