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.
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제 이름은 Aida (45살)이고 제 취미는 Exhibition Drill 와 Sculling or Rowing 입니다.
좋은 하루예요!
저는 Aida 라고 합니다.
요즘은 Inline Skating 에 푹 빠져 있고, 시간 날
때마다 French 를 조금씩 공부하고 있어요.
새로운 사람들을 만나고 대화 나누는 걸 좋아합니다.
|
간단히 제 얘기를 하자면,
저는 Canada 출신의 35살 Aida 입니다.
현재는 Playwriting 를 공부 중이며 미래에는
Inline Skating 관련 일을 하고 싶어요.
|
안녕하세요, Aida 입니다.
저는 Chicoutimi 에 살고 있고 곧 Playwriting
전공으로 졸업을 앞두고 있어요.
여가 시간에는 Conlanging 또는 NCIS 보는
걸 즐깁니다.
|
안녕 친구들!
저는 Aida (26살)이고 Canada에서 왔어요.
성격은 조용한 편이지만 새로운 걸 배우는 건 정말
좋아해요.
특히 French 배우는 것에 흥미가 있어요.
|
저는 Aida 이고 현재 Chicoutimi 에서 혼자 살고 있어요.
요즘 취미는 Australian Football League 하고 Surfing 입니다.
언젠가 Canada 전체를 여행해 보는 것이 꿈이에요.
|
반갑습니다!
제 이름은 Aida 이고 나이는 48살입니다.
저는 Playwriting 공부를 시작한 지 1년 되었어요.
이번 해에는 Inline Skating 를 더 깊게 배워보고 싶어요.
|
Canada 에 사는 Aida 입니다.
저는 Chicoutimi에서 자랐고 지금도 그곳에 살고 있어요.
특히 주말에는 NCIS 를 정주행하거나 Inline Skating 를 하며 시간을 보냅니다.
|
저는 Aida 이고 45살이에요.
일하면서 틈틈이 French 를 배우고 있어요.
언젠가 해외여행을 가서 직접 사용해 보는 것이 목표입니다.
취미는 Running 입니다.
|
안녕! 제 이름은 Aida.
지금은 Playwriting 를 공부 중이고 졸업 후에는 관련 직종에서 일하는
것이 목표예요.
쉬는 날에는 Photography, Insect collecting 그리고 친구들과 NCIS 보는 걸 좋아해요.
|
안녕하세요, Aida 입니다.
저는 Canada에서 태어났고 Chicoutimi에서 자라왔어요.
성격은 활발한 편이고 사람들과 이야기하는 걸 좋아합니다.
취미는 Inline Skating 와 Archery 에요.
|
저는 Aida.
현재 Chicoutimi 에서 가족과 함께 살고 있고,
1마리의 반려동물을 키우고 있어요.
주말에는 주로 NCIS 보거나 Inline Skating 하면서 시간을 보내요.
|
안녕하세요!
제 이름은 Aida 이고 나이는 23살 이에요.
저는 Chicoutimi 출신이고 지금은 Playwriting 를 공부하고 있어요.
목표는 외국어인 French 를 유창하게 말하는
것입니다.
|
저는 Aida 이고 매일 Inline Skating 를 하면서 스트레스를 풀어요.
집은 Chicoutimi에 있는데, 이곳은 정말 조용하고 살기 좋아요.
기회가 된다면 다른 도시도 알아보고 싶어요.
|
안녕하세용~
저는 Aida 입니다.
일을 하면서도 꾸준히 Chess 를 배우고 있어요.
최근에는 NCIS 에 빠져서 시간 가는 줄
모르겠어요.
|
제 이름은 Aida (33살)입니다.
가족 구성원은 2명이고 모두 Inline Skating 을/를 좋아해요.
저도 여가 시간에는 독서나 Photography 를 즐깁니다.
|
저는 Aida 이고 현재 Playwriting 관련 일을 하고 있어요.
지식 늘리는 걸 좋아해서 외국어 French 도 배우고 있어요.
좋아하는 취미는 Hooping 와 NCIS 입니다.
|
안녕하세요, 저는 Aida 입니다.
새로운 사람들과 소통하고 여러 가지 취미를 공유하는 걸 좋아해요.
특히 Inline Skating 에 관한 이야기를 하면 시간 가는 줄 몰라요.
|
저는 Aida 이고 Canada 의 작은 마을에서 자랐어요.
현재는 Chicoutimi 에 있지만 가끔 고향이 그리워요.
취미는 Hunting 입니다.
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복용 전에는 안전 정보를 꼭 확인하세요.
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비아그라는 일반적으로 성인 남성에게 사용되며,
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VGR는 정기적인 건강 관리와 병행하면 더욱 효과적입니다.
생활 습관 개선과 함께 사용하면 좋습니다.
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비아그라는 온라인에서도 합법적으로 구매할 수 있으나,
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|
비아그라는 의사의 처방과 지침을 따라 복용해야 안전합니다.
복용 전 전문 상담이 필요합니다.
|
비아그라를 복용하면 성기능 개선뿐 아니라
삶의 질 개선에도 도움이 될 수 있습니다.
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비아그라는 다양한 제형과 용량으로 제공되므로,
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