omg
(rotate that 90 degrees)
Qaz will want to stop by my place if he ever plans a one-way trip to Boston.
There's an interesting story behind this, past what has been related...
So today, I went to class. This particular class consists of listening to guest speakers, one each day, all of them prestigious and highly trained classicists. The professor apparently has been telling them about me. So of course I enter and sit, "I've taught classes most of you have attended...except you...you are...?" "Ethan." "YOU'RE Ethan?" "Um, yes, I'm Ethan. Pleased to meet you."
I then took the train home. On the train, I recognized the guy sitting in the aisle seat. It was the manager of the Kinko's I'd stopped at. He had been very zealous in helping me; he appeared to have taken a strong linking to me and a desire to help me with my quest. I get this often in real life for the same reason I get this in game - others feeling a desire to help me with my quests - because of my drive and energy; heaven helps those that help themselves, and in my experience, so does mankind.
He smiled and waved. I smiled and waved back, then hustled into the bus. I have to admit, it felt kind of awkward meeting him outside the context of the store, and more than that, I find positive impressions from others to be very oppressive. Anyway, of course he was going to work, so we got off at the same stop and had some small talk. I typically don't like walking with other people because I walk very fast and tend to care nothing for social propriety - if jumping a curb or running diagonally across an intersection or leaping down stairs like a ten-year-old or running around objects like an obstacle course gets me to my destination faster, I'll do it.
"On my way back from class."
"Oh, yeah, they made us go to a seminar downtown...your poster is done, by the way, you should come pick it up."
"That's where I'm headed. You going to work? Thanks so much for being so dedicated and energetic with this."
"Yeah...you know, we enjoy what we do."
"Yeah, that's the thing, some people, they focus on how much their job sucks, and they'll just try to do the bare minumum, and make it miserable for themselves, and some people take pride in what they do, and try to do it well, and that's enjoyable, it's a matter of attitude, you know?"
As we stood at the intersection (because I was not alone to simply run it), a bicyclist zipped by across our path. The copyist manager swung his arm and pushed me back. I was surprised, and this registered; it was a very extraordinary gesture.
"Oh, sorry, I was worried he wasn't going to stop!"
"Thanks...was there a reason you did that?"
"Yea, I was worried he wasn't going to stop."
"Right, but I mean...from your own experience. For me, my father is blind. My mother and I often have to walk him around, and keep him from hitting things. And then that's a habit we sometimes bring with us, and treat other people like they're blind...I mean, do you have a blind family member, or children?"
He grasped my point. "Yes...I have two children. My boy is getting to be that age, you know, where they just don't think about their surroundings, they just run all over the place."
"Situational awareness!"
"Yeah, that''s it!" The manager was in his mid-40s. He clearly had no frame of reference for the term.
He showed me the poster. "Came out amazingly well, it's impressive really...you know, we take a lot of pride in what we do."
"No doubt. Thanks so much." "Have a good one!" We shook hands and I left.
It's hard to describe, but there was a certain warmth to the interaction that's uncommon today. He appreciated my determination to get this done, and the novelty of my request - how most people would just make do with the shitty maps they sell in stores.
I'm a real "form follows function" kind of guy. I like my home to have the "war room" feel to it. This thing is great, and it's really visually impressive. I love it, and the quest was a great experience.
I am sure it seems strange I am so happy about getting a transit map for my wall, but I am.
