body language

from a block away she could tell that they were arguing. she couldn't hear them, but the body language was more than she needed to know that walking past them was going to be uncomfortable.
being in the presence of couples arguing is almost as, if not equally, uncomfortable as being in the presence of a mother yelling at her child in public. she remembered a friend of her's who's mother was an ASL interpreter. growing up her friend learned ASL before he learned english. this apparently proved quite useful in the supermarket when he was getting in trouble. his mother would sign everything to him. never having to make audible a single threat or insult. both parties escaped relatively free of public humiliation.
she thought of how useful this language skill would be for the two she was about to pass. or how convienient it would be if she lost her hearing for a split second. but her ears were open as they walked by...

she said: "well i'm sorry i'm such a fucking loser and a shitty girlfriend."
he said: "oh, come on, hon, you're not a loser."

wow. she really wished she'd been wearing her ipod...