Oblivious
For someone who is pretty attentive to all the shit that goes on in her head and whatever the latest science/space/blackhole news is, I can be oblivious to the walking, talking, irl stuff. Early concrete example: my dad built me a Barbie house for Christmas when I was eight. While it was a work-in-progress, he threw an old paint-stained olive green bedspread over it in the garage. I walked past its five-by-five Snuffalupagus-like bulk every day for months to access my bike and roller skates. I didn't notice it.
My mother said, when I was young, sometimes kids would make fun of me in that subtle, it-sounds-like-a-compliment-but-any-sentient-adult-can-tell-it's-not kind of way. It hurt her heart, but upon realizing I had no idea anything was going on beneath the surface of "I like your hair," she decided perhaps ignorance was bliss and kept it to herself.
I am still like this. Although, at forty-five, I may get an inkling that your "that sweatshirt looks so comfortable" comment may be your way of passive-aggressively saying, "You look like a slob, and now I feel better than you," I am still too exhausted to try to figure that shit out. Whatever. You are dismissed.
I was just reading an advice column in which a person asked, "When a guest brings a bottle of wine to my house for dinner, do I have to serve it with the meal?" Figuring out what social custom dictates you do in situations like this is so incredibly tiresome. If you bring me a bottle of wine, please, for the love of god, tell me what to do with it. "I thought it would go nicely with the chips and queso" or "Save this for yourself for later" are welcome directions. Better yet, take liberty, get comfy in my house, and open that shit yourself or shove it in my wine fridge, which is probably empty because stocking up on wine is not something I'm capable of.
Whatever you do, don't give me a choice and expect me to say the "right" thing. If you say, "Whatever. Open it if you want." I will circumvent trying to read your true desires in your face like tea leaves and do exactly what I want. I'll ask, "Are you sure?" That's your one out. If you don't take it, you've no one but yourself to blame.
Look, I will pick up on your mood. I am annoyingly empathetic. If you are having a shitty day, I will know that you are sad, tired, pissed off, depressed, whathaveyou. But if you are trying to send me subtle social cues to tuck my bra strap under my sleeve, I will absolutely not notice. Then, you will make fun of me to your "friends" later, which will feel delicious at first but leave you with that horrible hollow feeling after the fact, and I will go home none the wiser.
I used to think this lack of social awareness was a failing of mine, but every time I have gotten a clue that I didn't use the right fork or someone was smirking at my shoes, it hasn't done anything for me except make me feel bad (when I was younger) or annoy me (when I was older). Plus, Jason says he loves this about me, and with all the other shit he has to put up with, I oughta throw him a bone. So...oblivious. Yeah, I think I'll keep it.