The impossiblity of language

It’s been a cold, cloudy and rainy day (Feb 27th 2010) here in Sarasota. The morning temperature did not rise above 45 degrees F (7 degrees C).

That may seem warm for those of you who live in the Atlantic and New England States of the U.S.A, or in southern England and Wales, but it felt miserable for those of us who live in Florida (the “Sunshine State”).

At about10:00 a.m. I parked my car near a thrift store, where I’d planned to buy a warm sweatshirt.

No sooner I had gotten out of my car when an older man approached me and said: “Sunshine Club?”

I thought that he was “tongue in cheek” referring to our miserable weather.

So I suggested that the sun was shining in other States by saying “Hawaii?” with an implied question in my tone of voice.

He replied (having mis-heard me) “I am fine thanks”.

After a few seconds we realised that our conversation was off-balance.


It turns out that the parking lot was a gathering place for the “Sunshine Auto Club”, of which I knew not a sou.


Hence his opening question ”Sunshine Club?”

He had thought that I was a member of the "Sunshine Auto Club".

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