Are you talking to me?

It's not uncommon for people in my office to randomly explode into conversation.

Not to another human being, but simply a thin-air and out-loud conversation.

It still catches me by surprise, I simply can't predict when it's going to happen next.

They could be standing, they could be sitting, they may be typing or they maybe sipping on a coffee, when all of a sudden- "HELLO!, How are you? Good good. "

I react the same every time, with a confused semi-sideways glance of "are you talking to me? Or Should I leave you to it?"

Usually the eyes are the giveaway. If I'm being looked at, there is a good chance they are actually talking to me. However, if they're looking glazy and staring off into space then I know somethings up.

I couldn't quite put my finger on the inexplicable behavior until one morning when one of these spontaneous exploders 'turned the other cheek' and it all became crystal clear.

Something that looked like a prop from Star Trek was attached to my colleagues ear. But this was no intergalactic communication device, this was a bluetooth headset.

Now in my world 'bluetooth headsets' fall into the category of 'not very cool'.

I could understand if you were at a dress up party, or if you had the full sci-fi outfit on, but not if you are a balding business man or a woman of any description.

Regardless, these stealthy devices are causing me untold amount of social confusion. I can no longer tell if people are talking to me, or simply having a yarn to their flashy earrings.

Yes I'm talking to you.