Everyone has a topic that fails to capture their interest. Online, you can escape from boring things, but in real life, interacting with people is not easy. You don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings, so you deal with what they discuss. I find it difficult to talk to people I don’t know because they usually don’t like the same things I do. It feels awkward when a stranger talks to you, so you only smile and leave. As an introvert and Finn, I don’t like small talk. That’s one of the things that makes me yawn. I don’t mind discussing the weather, but it still comes up. In a way, that’s an icebreaker, but nothing happens after that.

Listening to other people’s conversations is also a bore, especially on public transport. You think Finns are quiet, but you would disagree if you met one on a bus or train—with someone they travel with, that is. You don’t see us talking to strangers that easily. I don’t know how people become friends if they don’t talk to people. That’s another thing that makes me yawn. No matter where I see others, no one ever talks to me. I haven’t had contact with former classmates. Not that I mind because I didn’t have anything in common with them in the first place. They seemed not to want to get to know me either. Who needs people who aren’t at the same level as you are anyway? Over the years, I’ve stopped caring about it.

The European Champion in football is on, but the whole topic makes me yawn. I only care about football if Finland is playing and how my home teams are doing in the Finnish leagues. Other times, I don’t care. I love watching sports, but not all of them. Sports I don’t care about make me yawn. Those who don’t watch any sport probably know how that feels. The media is full of news about it, and I bet people who don’t care about the sport wish there would be less news about the topic. Fortunately, everyone has a choice. You either care about sport, or you don’t. You can always change the channel or turn to the next page in the newspaper (if you still read one). If someone talks about it, you can leave and do something else.

The last yawning moment is when people talk about movies or TV series that I don’t care about. It feels like people don’t like the same new movies as I do. The same goes for TV. I like watching classic TV shows, but sometimes I check out new ones. I don’t care about Netflix and their shows. Are people still watching it? I have only one paid streaming service provider, and that’s Disney Plus. You see commercials about different providers, but none of them interest me. I couldn’t afford it anyway. Disney Plus has all that I want to pay for. There are a lot of interesting documents to watch, and they are not only made-up stories. They don’t make me yawn, and that’s all that counts.