I Could Tell You Stories, But Then Again... (post 2)

Inflection is a funny thing. The way something is said can make the difference between "I Love You!" and "I HATE you." This leads me to my main point, writing lacks true inflection, and as such, much speculation is cast upon what is meant when something is said. In this case, "I could tell you stories" ranges from being reminiscent of all the good times one has had, or it could be significant of the person's profession (R.J. is awesome). In other cases, it could be a person's attempt at starting a conversation in an awkward situation. At any rate, the ambiguity of the phrase is belied only by what the stories might entail. These "stories" are the person's attempt to, in a short time, give another a general background of themselves, possibly to ease the tension; to "break the ice" of sorts, and generate a more relaxed forum where a person can just talk. This could be to get advice from an impartial 3rd party, to reaffirm themselves (to boost their own ego), or to invoke sympathy in the other person.