My afternoon as an ear

I am devoid of inspiration.

As I sit here contemplating my thesis and ignoring the void of meaningless thoughts that enter my otherwise pre-occupied brain, I realize that everyone who has stopped by my table this afternoon has been a man with an opinion. An a need to be listened to.

I have sat here and listened to all of them greet me, compliment me, whine, narrate, explicate (is that a word?), uselessly comment, lazily smile, request a favor from, dispense grandfatherly advice, randomly blab, thought out aloud and yes, subconsciously hit on me.

I realize that to most of them, women like me are sounding boards, nannies, and at most a pleasant distraction.