Photo © 2012 Markus Spiering
Click here for original image.
A hundred geeks with cameras. Yup, and I was buried smack-dab in the middle of ’em. Didn’t want to be there. Didn’t mean to be there.
I remember in a high-school science class, we saw a film of an amoeba eating a paramecium. The amoeba’s body flowed around its prey, and after it had the poor bug surrounded, it just, kinda… digested it, right there, just like that. The paramecium squiggled and squirmed, tried valiantly to escape, but too little, too late. And then—poof!—it shimmered and was absorbed into the predator. It was gone.
That was me, that poor, little paramecium. My goofy boyfriend pulled me in before I knew what was going on. And by the time I realized what was going on, I was surrounded, and being digested by an amoeba, and unable to escape.
Chet had begged me to come along. He said I’d enjoy it. For the record, I didn’t. But I was glad he was finally enjoying something. He’s been so bent out of shape since he lost his job last April. Laid off on April the first, if you can get that joke.
We scaled back on our standard of living. That didn’t bug me so much. But what really surprised me was how much it got him down. He stopped doing anything constructive, spent all day watching TV, wasn’t looking for work, said we’d do fine on his unemployment check.
We’ve been surviving on peanut butter and ramen noodles and pasta and frozen burritos. I don’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.
I started by bugging him about his lack of work. He said he wanted a little vacation. I gave him a little vacation, then asked again. He said he was trying, but that nothing was available. I didn’t believe him, not that much. I asked him what job ads he had responded to each day. Most days, he just ignored me. Some days, yelled at me. I told him we could no longer afford cable TV. He convinced his parents to pay the bill.
I thought of getting ahold of a sledgehammer and having an “accident” with the TV set, but then I thought twice: we might need to sell it someday.
He was partially right, of course. There were no jobs in his field. But what bugged me most was that he was letting it get to him. His mind began wasting away to nothing, nothing at all, all day everyday. And as each day continued, he sank lower into the couch, and further into pity party.
I didn’t know how to snap him out of it. But his birthday gift did. One of his old office buddies sent him a digital camera, along with a really cool-looking book about how to take fun pictures about anything at all.
So when he threw himself into the hobby, and the hobby became an obsession, and a obsession became an endeavor, and when he began studying photography and framing and composition and lighting, and posted photo after photo to Flickr, and when he began hanging out with other camera-heads, and started talking about pursuing it professionally… I wanted to object. But not for the reason you might think. I wanted to object, because I was beginning to feel ignored.
But at least he was smiling again, and I had missed his smile. And the TV remained powered-off, except for the weekly exhibitions of his latest photos, which he would force me to watch, no matter how many hours I had worked that day.
Then, when he begged me to come to this big gathering of camera-heads, I gave in. I didn’t want to at first, but he pushed me and pressed me, and then he cuddled up next to me and told me about how much fun it was going to be to get away and that we hadn’t had a vacation in forever and that I needed a break—which was true. And he kissed me, and I melted and said yes. Sigh.
I hated it, didn’t enjoy it at all. There were no other camera-head-significant-others there. The food was okay, but the guest speaker spoke only camera-ese, and told only stupid camera jokes and camera stories. Then those assembled talked all afternoon about gadgets and techniques and awards, and showed each other the contents of their camera cases. Chet even got some business advice, which may or may not have been good advice, but he was enjoying himself, even though I had no idea what anyone was talking about.
“This is my girlfriend, Katy.”
And I smiled and faded into the background, maybe fondled a drink and tried to look interested in what they were saying while pondering the intricacies of the room’s potted flora. Too much, too far, too long. I was out of it. I so wanted to go home.
We started toward the door, walked out into the afternoon sun. I made a move toward the car, but Chet grabbed my hand and pulled me in the opposite direction. I looked up and saw that we were surrounded by a growing crowd, which was closing in around us on all sides. I was trapped, and one of the geeks with a camera was pointing it right at me. The other targets pointed their cameras back at him, but I was defenseless, hair akimbo, probably with a piece of spinach stuck between my teeth… not that it mattered, as no one could see my teeth.
The geek said, “Alright! Ready everybody?! Cheeeezzze!”
And everyone said, “Cheeeezzze!”
“Hold on!” He interrupted them, futzing with his camera. “Okay…”
“Quick!” said Chet. “Somebody fire before he reloads!” And raised his camera and took aim.
And that’s when the geek pulled the trigger.
90’lardan gunumuze uzanan guzellik anlay?s?na ?s?k tutan bu rehberle, zaman?n otesine gecen bir tarz elde edin.
По теме “Ev Dekorasyonunda S?kl?k ve Fonksiyonellik”, есть отличная статья.
Ссылка ниже:
https://evimsicak.com
90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmek, tarz?n?za farkl? bir boyut kazand?rabilir. Denemeye deger degil mi?
modernideasnetwork – Love how the website makes big ideas feel accessible and not overwhelming.
code promo 1xbet canada
in altre parole, la Gran Bretagna, indubbiamente e la casa di bookmakers e la cultura delle scommesse, https://phoenix-emperor.com/bingo-non-aams-scopri-il-gioco-e-le-migliori-4/ vari.
everymomentmatters – Always feel a little more centered after browsing here—a meaningful stop.
РедМетСплав предлагает широкий ассортимент отборных изделий из редких материалов. Не важно, какие объемы вам необходимы – от мелких партий до обширных поставок, мы обеспечиваем быстрое выполнение вашего заказа.
Каждая единица товара подтверждена требуемыми документами, подтверждающими их происхождение. Превосходное обслуживание – наша визитная карточка – мы на связи, чтобы разрешать ваши вопросы по мере того как находить ответы под требования вашего бизнеса.
Доверьте потребности вашего бизнеса специалистам РедМетСплав и убедитесь в гибкости нашего предложения
Наши товары:
Пруток молибденовый МШВШ-2 Пруток молибденовый МШВШ-2 – это высококачественный металл, который используется в различных промышленных областях, включая авиастроение и машиностроение. Он обладает отличными механическими свойствами, такими как высокая прочность и жаростойкость. Молибденовые изделия также устойчивы к коррозии и способны работать при высоких температурах. Если вам нужно купить Пруток молибденовый МШВШ-2, наш продукт станет оптимальным решением для ваших задач. Мы предлагаем конкурентоспособные цены и надежную доставку. Не упустите возможность сделать выгодное приобретение!
shopthedayaway – The layout is clear and navigation easy—one of the better ones I’ve seen.
luxuryfindsonline – Enjoyed exploring here; discovered pieces I’d not thought to look for.
uniquevaluecorner – Felt confident exploring this site—clear categories and decent visuals.
inspiredthinkinghub – One of the better sites for thoughtful inspiration I’ve found lately.
UK online pharmacies list: UK online pharmacies list – best UK pharmacy websites
Cilt bak?m?n?n puf noktalar?na dair bilmeniz gereken her sey burada!
“Modern Mobilya Trendleri ve Dekorasyon Ipuclar?” konusuyla ilgili olarak oras? tam bir bilgi hazinesi.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://evimtarzi.com
Cildinizin dogall?g?n? ve sagl?g?n? korumak sizin elinizde.
modernideasnetwork – Found a few thought-provoking posts that made me pause and reflect today.
Dogal ve etkili cilt bak?m yontemlerine dair tuyolar? kesfedin.
“Turk Mutfag?n?n Geleneksel ve Modern Lezzetleri” konusunda bilgi arayanlar icin harika bir makale var.
Kendiniz bak?n:
https://turklezzeti.com
Dogal guzelliginizi koruyun ve her zaman en iyi versiyonunuz olun.
luxuryfindsonline – Enjoyed exploring here; discovered pieces I’d not thought to look for.
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
Estetik ve Fonksiyonellik: Ideal Mekan Tasar?m? hakk?ndaki bolum ozellikle hosuma gitti.
Kendiniz bak?n:
[url=https://evsahnesi.com]https://evsahnesi.com[/url]
Cilt bak?m?n? hayat?n?z?n bir parcas? haline getirin ve fark? gorun.
Вызов дезинфекция квартиры после умершего на выходные возможен?
санобработка
everymomentmatters – The website could be a go-to for gentle inspiration in a busy world.
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
Dogal Guzellik Yontemleri: Cilt ve Sac Bak?m? Ipuclar? hakk?ndaki bolum dikkate degerdi.
Burada okuyabilirsiniz:
https://ipekcilt.com
Cilt bak?m?n? hayat?n?z?n bir parcas? haline getirin ve fark? gorun.
inspiredthinkinghub – Already bookmarking this—wonderful place to revisit for motivation and new ideas.
shopthedayaway – Love the cheerful vibe, plenty of stylish picks to brighten the day.
dreamdealsstore – Cool products, great pricing, and a very smooth buying process.
buy medicine online legally Ireland
modernideasnetwork – Already bookmarking this; will revisit when I’m in the mood for new perspectives.
90’lardan gunumuze uzanan guzellik anlay?s?na ?s?k tutan bu rehberle, zaman?n otesine gecen bir tarz elde edin.
По теме “Ev Dekorasyonunda Modern ve Estetik Cozumler”, нашел много полезного.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://evimturk.com
Nostalji dolu bu yolculukta bizimle oldugunuz icin tesekkur ederiz. 90’lar modas? ve guzelliginin ruhunu hissedin.
Hi, just wanted to mention, I enjoyed this post. It was inspiring.
Keep on posting!
мосбет скачат мосбет скачат
connectsharegrow – Pleasant browsing experience, everything loads smoothly and feels cohesive.
luxuryfindsonline – The visuals caught my attention and the variety looks pretty good overall.
Мы обеспечиваем комфортные условия для пребывания в клинике Ростова-на-Дону, чтобы восстановление прошло максимально эффективно.
Разобраться лучше – вывод из запоя на дому круглосуточно в ростове-на-дону
everymomentmatters – Found nice ideas here that helped me pause and reconnect—thank you!
inspiredthinkinghub – Friendly design, easy to navigate, and the content really resonates.
shopthedayaway – Good value across the selections, feels like smart shopping.
dreamdealsstore – Found some amazing bargains today, really happy with this shop.
modernideasnetwork – Already bookmarking this; will revisit when I’m in the mood for new perspectives.
connectsharegrow – Found some engaging content, the site looks clean and easy to use.
dreamdealsstore – Found some amazing bargains today, really happy with this shop.
luxuryfindsonline – The visuals caught my attention and the variety looks pretty good overall.
inspiredthinkinghub – Friendly design, easy to navigate, and the content really resonates.
connectsharegrow – Will revisit this site when I’m looking to engage and learn more.
modernideasnetwork – This site has some really interesting concepts, felt engaging and fresh.
moveforwardnow – Crisp layout, strong visuals, content that makes me want to act.
mostbet.com скачать http://mostbet12033.ru/
dreamdealsstore – Super easy to navigate and checkout, everything works smoothly here.
connectsharegrow – Pleasant browsing experience, everything loads smoothly and feels cohesive.
moveforwardnow – The tone strikes the right balance between motivation and practicality.
Hi to all, how is everything, I think every one is getting more from this web page, and your views are nice designed for new people.
dreamdealsstore – Fast-loading site, neat design and amazing daily offers to grab.
Ich liebe die Atmosphare bei Cat Spins Casino, es begeistert mit Dynamik. Die Spiele sind abwechslungsreich und fesselnd, mit Slots in modernem Look. 100 % bis zu 500 € plus Freispiele. Der Support ist professionell und schnell. Transaktionen sind immer sicher, in manchen Fallen ein paar Freispiele mehr waren super. In Summe, Cat Spins Casino sorgt fur kontinuierlichen Spa?. Nebenbei ist das Design stilvoll und einladend, eine Prise Spannung hinzufugt. Ein attraktives Extra die vielfaltigen Wettmoglichkeiten, zuverlassige Transaktionen sichern.
Jetzt ausprobieren|
moveforwardnow – Love how every piece here encourages momentum—not just talking, but moving.