Including People

1. Several years ago I was taking a picture of a building, and David told me to include people in my photographs. He said that they were more interesting with people in them.


2. David was one of a trio tall, dark-haired guys (spread over several years and thousands of miles) that I had close friendships with. They all gave off a future lawyer and/or young Republican vibe. David, I believe, really is a lawyer now. The other two are probably entrepreneurs or investment bankers or somesuch. I was able to be friends with these guys because it was entirely obvious that guys like them didn't date girls like me. Brian would tell me about sleeping with an actress (did I believe him?). He held his life together pretty well for someone who might have had an alcohol problem. Matt was less cool than the other two; he would sleep with me when he was between girlfriends.


3. There's less to say about the tall blond guys, as there really was no theme to them (aside from bad vision). Were I forced to write something, it would have to be the "contrast" part of a compare and contrast. And the other guys? Even less that I want to say. (Fun fact: When I was 24, I married a high school drop-out.)


4. It's this whole idea of including people that makes during-the-semester blog posts easier to write than between-semesters posts. During the semester, I would see well over 100 people (students) several times a week. Always at least one of them had said or done something of note.


5. It's easier to blur the identities of students than of the other people in my life. A college student of unspecified gender who is failing math due to being poorly prepared for college and then not doing the hard work necessary to succeed? So common that there is a question on the registrar's scholarship FAQ about what to do if you fail math your freshman year. This is probably a factor in why I don't write as much about the successes of individual students: their successes are much more, well, individual.


6. Colleagues? I could tell you about how Professor Oscar Madison always seems to be out to pick a fight. But since I really do like my job, there isn't much more that I can say here about the conversation we had yesterday. Nothing especially noteworthy about it, just another in a series of discussions (that go nowhere) about unimportant stuff.


7. I think that a famous person is visiting the department, but I'm not sure. I have a terrible time recognizing people by their faces; I checked the famous guy's webpage, and I can't tell from the photograph whether it's the same person. (Yet another reason that I would make a terrible bartender; no one would believe me that I couldn't tell that the person I was serving wasn't the person whose photograph was on the ID.) My guess to his identity is based on his voice.


8. Family? I bet your mom nags you, too. And writing too much about the struggles of individuals is just asking for trouble.


9. Really what I need is to get out more and meet more interesting people.