In college, my roommate Bryan introduced me to The List. The List is not something you want to be on, like People Magazine’s List of the 50 Sexiest People. Anything can make its way onto The List – it doesn’t matter if it is a person, place or thing. Adding something to The List is not done lightly either, for once added, the entry is permanent. While there are many things that may annoy you in life, only the truly special annoyances make it to The List. I try to keep my list as short as possible because it can get out of hand, like when Bryan and I added half of Binghamton University to The List one night at an after hours party. Use this concept with caution.

Today, I am adding bobblehead talkers to my list. You know who they are, the ones that say something and then nod over and over again as they say it, trying to convince you (or is it themselves?) about the validity of their statement. To me, it whiffs of condescension and is insulting – I do not need a prod in order to engage in a conversation. If I agree with you, I will agree and vice versa. A head nodding up and down will not sway my decision. Rather, it reminds me of how foreigners says “uh huh” at the end of every English sentence. My guide in the Monteverde Cloud Forest did this over and over again as he narrated our walk. “This is a walking stick. Uh huh. Over there, you can see a thrush. Uh huh. Hear it? Uh huh.” It was his way of saying “Yes? Am I right? Do you understand?” because he was unsure if he said it right. If you are a bobblehead talker, then you probably aren’t sure of yourself either. Stop letting the world in on your secret.