I'm not talking about putting together a computer, all you geeks out there. Making PC, Polite Conversation for the uninitiated, is an art. Who do you make PC with? PCs are made with acquaintances, with the only other person at a gathering who nobody is talking to, etc., you get the drift? It's an art because you may have to hold forth on topics that are not exactly your forte, and speak to people who you may not be of your wavelength.
You generally start the PC with some inane comment about the weather, make some personal comment about yourself or the person you are making PC with. For e.g. Gosh its hot, I'm allergic to smoke, Are you allergic to smoke? Etc. Then you might exchange information about your respective professions. If the other person has an uncommon profession like he or she is a rocket scientist or a fighter pilot you can breathe easy and ask questions you've been itching to ask after all those movies and hours of Discovery Channel. You are in trouble if the person works as a number cruncher in some nondescript place and does not ask you in turn about your profession and further does not look sufficiently interested when you volunteer the information. This could be either because this person knows nothing about your profession and simply doesn't care to know more or is not aware of the finer nuances of making PC or is simply offended by your presence and PC making initiatives.
PCs are also traps where you could be caught with foot in your saintly mouth. For e.g., you might start the PC with what you think is a witty comment, "What is that dancing?" only to receive a chilly reply, "That is my sister." The thing to remember is 'Diplomacy above all.' Your comments, observations, opinions should be politically correct and of no consequence.
Another potential gaffe situation is if you and the person you're making PC with have a common acquaintance whom you do not care for. This common acquaintance, who has in the past been a blight in your life may just happen to be a special friend of the person you are making PC with. So you will be forced to grin and bear with the glorious things said about this bane. I speak of this from experience. I once had to make PC with an acquaintance who spoke very warmly about a person of whom I had no charitable thoughts. I had to nod and agree that she was a peach when I could have cheerfully done a character assassination in a second.
On another occasion I found myself sitting next to a person who I vaguely remembered to be a fashion designer. Now I wouldn't know fashion if it ran over me. But I bravely ventured into uncharted territory and asked the most cliched question, "What's the latest in fashion?" She said that crochet accessories were very 'in' this summer. I tucked away that little nugget for future reference.
