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.
Привет, друзья! Нашёл крутой сайт с интересным контентом, зацените: https://pornofoxru.cc/2127-maheha-otsosala-pasynku-poka-ego-otec-spit.html — есть на любой вкус! Рекомендую!
Клиническая практика показывает: только системная работа с пациентом даёт устойчивый результат. Программа включает медицинское, психологическое и социальное сопровождение.
Углубиться в тему – centr lecheniya alkogolizma voronezh
Thank you for sharing your info. I truly appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your
next post thank you once again.
«Рентвил» предлагает аренду автомобилей в Краснодаре без залога и ограничений по пробегу по Краснодарскому краю и Адыгее. Требуется стаж от 3 лет и возраст от 23 лет. Оформление за 5 минут онлайн: нужны только фото паспорта и прав. Подача авто на жд вокзал и аэропорт Краснодар Мин-воды Сочи . Компания работает 10 лет , автомобили проходят своевременное ТО. Доступны детские кресла. Бронируйте через Прокат авто Краснодар
Клиника предлагает индивидуальный подход к каждому пациенту. Лечение начинается с детальной диагностики состояния здоровья, что позволяет врачу подобрать наиболее эффективную схему терапии.
Подробнее – http://vyvod-iz-zapoya-korolev2.ru
Изразителни десени и прецизна кройка в новите дамски комплекти
дамски комплекти с намаление http://www.komplekti-za-jheni.com/ .
ניתן היה לראות כיצד הגידים בצוואר מתוחים ואיך הצלעות צצות תוך כדי נשימה עמוקה. פניו, עם עצמות את צעדי, הלכתי ישר אליה כדי לקחת אותה לשלי, ובאותו הזמן שאלתי מה לעזאזל מוזר בדיוק ראיתי. see post
wonderful issues altogether, you simply won a new reader.
What would you suggest about your post that you simply made some
days ago? Any sure?
I take pleasure in, result in I discovered exactly what I used to be having a look for. You’ve ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
hafilat balance check
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say wonderful blog!
hafilat balance check
«Рентвил» предлагает аренду автомобилей в Краснодаре без залога и ограничений по пробегу по Краснодарскому краю и Адыгее. Требуется стаж от 3 лет и возраст от 23 лет. Оформление за 5 минут онлайн: нужны только фото паспорта и прав. Подача авто на жд вокзал и аэропорт Краснодар Мин-воды Сочи . Компания работает 10 лет , автомобили проходят своевременное ТО. Доступны детские кресла. Бронируйте через аренда машины в краснодаре
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing
your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I
hope you write again very soon!
Лечение алкоголизма в Воронеже — помощь на всех стадиях зависимости особенно важно на этапе, когда у человека ещё сохраняется мотивация к изменениям. Но даже при тяжёлых формах зависимости шанс на выздоровление сохраняется — при условии комплексного подхода.
Детальнее – https://lechenie-alkogolizma-voronezh9.ru/
Основная проблема запоя заключается в том, что человек постепенно теряет контроль над ситуацией, а его организм подвергается всё более тяжёлой интоксикации. Определить момент, когда требуется немедленное обращение за помощью, несложно, если внимательно следить за состоянием человека.
Выяснить больше – вывод из запоя королева
скачать 1win официальный сайт бесплатно https://1win22087.ru .
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article.
I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read
more of your useful info. Thanks for the post.
I’ll certainly return.
Hello, I check your blog on a regular basis. Your story-telling style is witty, keep it up!
E2Bet Indonesia, situs judi online terbesar di Indonesia, aman, terpercaya, dan inovatif, bonus menarik dan layanan pelanggan 24/7.
#E2Bet #E2BetIndonesia #Indonesia
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up and the rest of
the site is very good.
Wow, awesome weblog layout! How lengthy have you been blogging for? you make running a blog look easy. The total look of your web site is wonderful, as neatly as the content!
hafilat balance check
Heya! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 4! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the great work!
hafilat balance check
Cryptocurrency Prices Live Heatmap Market Caps 3
Wow, fantastic blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is fantastic, let alone the content!
hafilat balance check
Just want to say your article is as amazing. The clearness for your submit is just cool and i could suppose you’re an expert on this subject. Fine together with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thank you one million and please carry on the gratifying work.
hafilat balance check
Just want to say your article is as amazing. The clearness to your submit is just cool and i could think you’re knowledgeable in this subject. Well with your permission allow me to seize your RSS feed to stay updated with approaching post. Thank you a million and please carry on the enjoyable work.
hafilat balance check
It’s hard to come by well-informed people in this particular subject,
however, you sound like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
lixiana e stanchezza zarzio prezzo farmacia tedesca online
Superb post however I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Cheers!
hafilat balance check
This post is priceless. Where can I find out more?
hafilat balance check
Для безопасного и эффективного лечения дома необходимо:
Ознакомиться с деталями – наркологическая помощь на дому республика башкортостан
Hi there, You’ve done an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends.
I’m confident they’ll be benefited from this website.
Simply want to say your article is as astounding. The clarity in your post is just nice and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject. Well with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the gratifying work.
hafilat balance check
skinceuticals serum 10: amoxicilline pharmacie sans ordonnance Рemla cr̬me sans ordonnance
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something that I
think I would never understand. It seems too complex and very
broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to
get the hang of it!
comprar augmentine 500 sin receta: Confia Pharma – farmacia gallo online
roobet promotional code WEB3 В мире онлайн-казино инновации не стоят на месте, и Roobet находится в авангарде этих перемен. С появлением технологии Web3, Roobet предлагает игрокам новый уровень прозрачности, безопасности и децентрализации. Чтобы воспользоваться всеми преимуществами этой передовой платформы, используйте промокод WEB3.
Фурнитура для пластиковых https://furnitura-pvh-okon.ru окон обеспечивает удобство, герметичность и безопасность при эксплуатации. В ассортименте поворотные и поворотно-откидные механизмы, ручки, петли, запоры и ограничители.
Крыша на балкон Балкон, прежде всего, – это открытое пространство, связующее звено между уютом квартиры и бескрайним внешним миром. Однако его беззащитность перед капризами погоды порой превращает это преимущество в существенный недостаток. Дождь, снег, палящее солнце – все это способно причинить немало хлопот, лишая возможности комфортно проводить время на балконе, а также нанося ущерб отделке и мебели. Именно здесь на помощь приходит крыша на балкон – надежная защита и гарантия комфорта в любое время года.
https://confiapharma.com/# comprar antihistamГnicos sin receta
Бъди уверена и модерна с дамски комплект от нашата нова колекция
дамски сетове дамски сетове .
mostbet-uzb http://mostbet3036.ru/ .
gonzo casino
Greate post. Keep writing such kind of info on your page.
Im really impressed by it.
Hi there, You’ve performed a fantastic job.
I’ll certainly digg it and individually suggest to my friends.
I am confident they will be benefited from this web site.
Запой — тяжёлое состояние алкогольной зависимости, при котором организм постоянно подвергается токсическому воздействию алкоголя. Это не просто неприятное явление, а угрожающее жизни состояние, которое требует немедленного медицинского вмешательства. Наркологическая клиника «Воздух Свободы» в Люберцах предлагает профессиональный и эффективный вывод из запоя с индивидуальным подходом и максимальным уровнем конфиденциальности.
Узнать больше – вывод из запоя на дому
Excellent, what a weblog it is! This blog presents helpful facts to us, keep it up.
Quality articles or reviews is the key to attract the viewers to go to see the website,
that’s what this site is providing.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to mention that I have really loved browsing your weblog posts.
After all I’ll be subscribing in your feed and I’m hoping you write again very soon!
Обращение за срочной помощью нарколога на дому в Мариуполе имеет ряд весомых преимуществ, которые способствуют быстрому восстановлению здоровья:
Изучить вопрос глубже – vyzov-narkologa-na-dom mariupol’
Подари си комфорт с дамски комплект за уикенд разходки и почивка
дамски комплекти на промоция https://www.komplekti-za-jheni.com .
Every weekend i used to visit this site, for the reason that
i want enjoyment, since this this website conations in fact fastidious funny information too.