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.
go to this web-site https://defi-money.cc
This is a topic that is near to my heart…
Best wishes! Where are your contact details though?
trendylane – Loved the collection of trendy products, shopping was convenient and quick.
melbet telefon suport https://melbet5013.ru/
Continue Reading https://avalonfinance.cv/
cheerfulcornerstore – Loved the quality and the quick support response.
check my reference https://d2finance.cv
melbet verificare cont https://www.melbet5014.ru
joyfulcornerstore – Loved the products and the team was super helpful.
click here now https://kinetiq.buzz/
her response https://avalonfinance.cc
https://telegra.ph/Fontan-Casino-Twoja-Brama-do-Elektryzuj%C4%85cej-Rozrywki-i-Wygranych-11-22
click to find out more https://royco.cc
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon every day. It’s always useful to read through articles from other authors and practice something from their websites.
biggest escort directory Brazil
melbet casino http://melbet5014.ru/
why not look here https://yieldfi.pro
Your unique approach to this topic is both refreshing and enlightening.
look at here https://arch.credit/
Fantastic blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a
little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting with a free platform like
Wordpress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m totally overwhelmed ..
Any ideas? Thanks a lot!
view it https://hlp0.cloud/
melbet mirror funcțional https://www.melbet5013.ru
view https://palladiumlabs.net/
joyhubonline – Products were great, the support team responded promptly.
Магазин знает как удалить учетку что бы закрыв чат в жабере у вас исчезла запись из списка контактов. У меня так было вчера. Адрес не давали в течении 2х часов а под утро сегодня и вовсе исчезли из контактов. купить кокаин, меф, бошки через телеграмм всё получил,качество-бомба,очень доволен магазином ,всё быстро доставили,вам желаю так держать!!!!!!!!!
Между прочим, если вас интересует Как повысить финансовую грамотность с Кредит Эксперт, загляните сюда.
Смотрите сами:
https://24-bank.ru
I’d like to find out more? I’d love to find out more details.
directory of female escorts in Brazil
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate your efforts and I am waiting for your further write ups thank you once again.
escort directory Rio
learn this here now https://beraborrow.cc
his response https://hlp0.cloud/
I want to highlight the material about Insights on Real-Time Crypto Trends and News.
Ссылка ниже:
https://pulsewander.com
look at more info https://ethereal.credit
melbet statistici meci https://melbet5014.ru/
cod promoțional melbet cod promoțional melbet
melbet close account https://melbet5014.ru
see this website https://hyperliquid-wiki.cc/
cheercornerhub – Excellent products and very responsive customer support.
Trend Shopping Finds – Loved the variety, products look great, and checkout was fast.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Synergy of AI and Blockchain: autonomous technologies of the future, check out here.
Смотрите сами:
https://lesserliving.com
Incidentally, if you are interested in Step-by-Step Financial Guides for a Secure Future, check out here.
Ссылка ниже:
https://codefortots.com
click here for info https://boros.cfd/
click to read more https://theo.sbs/
visit their website https://berapaw.org
On the topic “Exploring the crypto industry with AI: one step ahead of the market”, it’s a treasure trove of information.
Смотрите сами:
https://kitchentechy.com
you can try this out https://defi-money.cc/
straight from the source https://daodao.cfd/
check out here https://etherealtrade.lat/
Open for full info: https://vchatesexa.ru
Trend Shop Hub – Loved the variety, stylish items, and the ordering process was fast.
Trend Shop Online – Great product variety, stylish picks, and fast, reliable delivery.
melbet live chat melbet5014.ru