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.
проверить сайт кракен актуальная ссылка на сегодня
FutureGardenGallery – Neat menus and responsive pages made browsing products enjoyable.
курсовые работы заказать kupit-kursovuyu-2.ru .
Wonder Peak Collective – Products are easy to locate and the interface looks tidy.
перейти на сайт kraken
aplikacja mostbet logowanie do mostbet
mobilny mostbet mostbet global
Wonder Peak Boutique Picks – Smooth navigation and items load quickly.
написание курсовой на заказ цена https://www.kupit-kursovuyu-6.ru .
курсовые работы заказать http://www.kupit-kursovuyu-1.ru/ .
It’s awesome designed for me to have a web site, which is good designed for my know-how. thanks admin
browse styles – Found the items I needed right away thanks to the simple, organized layout.
mostbet global mostbet
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get several e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service? Bless you!
logowanie do mostbet mostbet android
ссылка на сайт kraken
стоимость написания курсовой работы на заказ http://www.kupit-kursovuyu-6.ru .
курсовые работы заказать http://www.kupit-kursovuyu-1.ru/ .
заказать практическую работу недорого цены http://www.kupit-kursovuyu-6.ru .
где можно заказать курсовую работу https://www.kupit-kursovuyu-1.ru .
нажмите здесь кракен сайт магазин
It’s hard to find experienced people for this topic, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Быстрая доставка , и высочайшее качество обслуживания! Думаю и сейчас ничего не изменилось. купить Кокаин, Мефедрон, Экстази очень сложно дописаться до них=( а цены хорошие.Сам магаз работает хорошо все в сроки, консперация тоже на высшем уровне)
проверить сайт кракен актуальная ссылка на сегодня
этот сайт кракен шоп
shoppingworld – Easy to move between sections, the interface is clean and responsive.
oficjalne pobieranie mostbet bonus mostbet
logowanie do mostbet mostbet
Great blog here! Also your site loads up fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as fast as yours lol
FutureGardenOnline – Well-structured pages with fast navigation made discovering products easy.
Wonder Peak Choice – Products are easy to locate and exploring is simple.
FutureGardenBoutique – Crisp interface and simple design made browsing the catalog easy.
horizon hub link – Smooth interface and well-organized items enhanced browsing.
Wonder Peak Emporium – Browsing feels effortless and the interface is tidy.
brandelevate.click – Appreciate the typography choices; comfortable spacing improved my reading experience.
Что мною движет? Найти свой стиль управления и развить лидерские качества. Манифесторы — в проявлении инициативы после предварительного информирования окружающих. Как зарабатывать – проектору, генератору, манифестору? Управленческие компетенции. Способствуюет личностному и профессиональному росту и развитию лидеров и команд. Какие бывают типы по дизайну человека? Узнайте свой тип, стратегию, авторитет и способности. Трудность выбора и вынуждены принимать непростые решения. Почему у генераторов мало денег и как это исправить? Как Дизайн Человека помогает в жизни?
https://x-human-design-v-ru-bu.hdua.ru
помощь курсовые kupit-kursovuyu-6.ru .
покупка курсовой http://www.kupit-kursovuyu-1.ru/ .
заказать курсовую работу заказать курсовую работу .
курсовая заказать курсовая заказать .
normalerweise/normalerweise, https://e-learning.docentplus.nl/sportwetten-ohne-verifizierung-schnelle-und-7/ erlauben hohere Limits fur beliebte/gefragte/geforderte Typen Sportunterhaltung und Sport Aktivitaten mit hochster Teilnahme.
курсовые заказ https://kupit-kursovuyu-6.ru .
где можно заказать курсовую работу kupit-kursovuyu-1.ru .
tallbirchhub – Layout is clean and intuitive, making shopping quick and enjoyable.
Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you may be a great author. I will be sure to bookmark your blog and may come back in the foreseeable future. I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great job, have a nice weekend!
golden boutique access – Browsing felt natural and product sections were easy to follow.
заказать курсовую работу спб http://kupit-kursovuyu-7.ru/ .
написание курсовых на заказ написание курсовых на заказ .
This clarified so much for me. https://9039122983362f1c.com/uncapped-cartwright-in-australias-odi-squad/
купить курсовую сайт купить курсовую сайт .