
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.
If you scroll past this site without looking carefully you will miss something, and a stop at ardenbeach extended that mild warning, the surface of the site does not advertise its quality loudly which means careful attention is required to recognise what is being offered here which is itself a kind of editorial signal.
Этот обзор посвящен успешным стратегиям избавления от зависимости, включая реальные примеры и советы. Мы разоблачим мифы и предоставим читателям достоверную информацию о различных подходах. Получите опыт многообразия методов и найдите подходящий способ для себя!
Что скрывают от вас? – лечение запоев на дому с выездом
Hey there, hope you’re having a wonderful day!
I will 25 pbn high quality dofollow backlinks da 50
В этой статье мы подробно рассматриваем проверенные методы борьбы с зависимостями, включая психотерапию, медикаментозное лечение и поддержку со стороны общества. Мы акцентируем внимание на важности комплексного подхода и возможности успешного восстановления для людей, столкнувшихся с этой проблемой.
Дополнительно читайте здесь – детокс-капельница на дом
We are a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community. Your web site offered us with valuable information to work on. You have done a formidable job and our entire community will be thankful to you.
look these up dmail mail
According to my study, after a foreclosures home is available at an auction, it is common with the borrower to be able to still have the remaining balance on the mortgage loan. There are many financial institutions who try and have all charges and liens cleared by the next buyer. However, depending on a number of programs, rules, and state laws there may be many loans which aren’t easily settled through the transfer of personal loans. Therefore, the duty still rests on the lender that has had his or her property in foreclosure. Thank you sharing your ideas on this weblog.
Thanks , I’ve just been searching for information about this subject for a while and yours is the best I have discovered so far. However, what concerning the conclusion? Are you sure in regards to the source?
useful content leap wallet dashboard
В данной статье рассматриваются физиологические и эмоциональные аспекты зависимости. Мы обсудим, как организм реагирует на зависимое поведение, и какие методы помогают восстановить здоровье и внутреннее равновесие.
Погрузиться в детали – вызов нарколога на дом круглосуточно недорого
their website leapwallet
Halfway through I knew I would finish the post, and a stop at cantclap also held me through to the end, content that signals its quality early and then sustains it is content with real internal consistency and this site has clearly figured out how to maintain quality from opening sentence through to closing thought.
Официальный дилер STELS, SEGWAY, BRC квадроцикл 125 кубов купить
наркологический стационар спб наркологический стационар спб
100cuci free kredit 100cuci free kredit
https://mexicaredirect.shop/# pharma mexicana
Closed it feeling slightly more competent in the topic than I started, and a stop at auralbrig reinforced that competence boost, real learning is rare in casual online reading but it does happen sometimes and this site managed to make it happen for me today which is genuinely worth pausing to acknowledge.
Looking for a token swap platform? Visit https://swaptoken.io/ – we offer fast swaps for 150+ cryptocurrencies in 1-15 minutes. We offer fixed and floating rates, no registration, and no KYC for standard routes. Flexible limits range from $20 to $150,000 equivalent. All key exchange terms are displayed in the form upfront, with no hidden platform fees other than the sender’s network fee.
about his coin leap app
see here now dmail login
magnificent points altogether, you just gained a new reader. What would you recommend about your post that you made a few days ago? Any positive?
В этой статье рассматриваются актуальные вопросы, связанные с развитием медицинской науки и её внедрением в повседневную практику. Особое внимание уделено вопросам профилактики, ранней диагностики и использованию технологий для улучшения здоровья человека.
Детали по клику – детокс24 красногорск
Hit me up! It’s like you read my thoughts! Great post! Great read. I hate buy now. You are obviously very knowledgeable. Thumbs up! Thumbs up! You appear to know a lot about this. You have brought to my attention some very superb insights. Nice write up. Your article has proven useful to me. Great read. This is an excellent, an eye-opener for sure! Interesting content. You are a very persuasive writer. This information is magnificent.
Took something from this I did not expect to find, and a stop at boundcliff added another unexpected useful piece, content that exceeds expectations rather than just meeting them is the kind that builds enthusiasm and earns repeat visits without any explicit ask from the writer or platform behind the work being read.
redirected here dmail price
Когда речь идёт о покупке автомобиля из Японии, Кореи или Китая, выбор партнёра решает всё. Ищете купить автомобиль тойота из японии ? Компания starmotors.biz за годы работы доставила более 17 000 автомобилей по всей России и сегодня держит свыше 600 машин в наличии на рынке во Владивостоке. Офисы и стоянки работают во Владивостоке, Москве и Санкт-Петербурге, а доставка охватывает любой регион страны.
В этой статье обсуждаются актуальные медицинские вопросы, которые волнуют общество. Мы обращаем внимание на проблемы, касающиеся здравоохранения и лечения, а также на новшества в области медицины. Читатели будут осведомлены о последних событиях и смогут следить за тенденциями в медицине.
Ознакомиться с отчётом – снятие ломки
I have noticed that online diploma is getting well-known because getting your degree online has become a popular option for many people. A large number of people have not had a possible opportunity to attend a normal college or university however seek the increased earning potential and a better job that a Bachelors Degree gives you. Still some others might have a diploma in one discipline but wish to pursue a thing they now develop an interest in.
Официальный дилер STELS, SEGWAY, BRC квадроцикл б у купить недорого
his comment is here dmail price
Hey! Keep being awesome!
I will set up powerful non skippable ads for brand awareness or sales
Публикация посвящена жизненным историям людей, успешно справившихся с зависимостью. Мы покажем, что выход есть, и он начинается с первого шага — принятия проблемы и желания измениться.
Всё самое вкусное внутри – снятие ломки
top article coin leap app
Looking through other posts here the consistency is what makes the site valuable rather than any single piece, and a stop at globalethicalclickping extended that consistency observation, sites whose value lies in the ongoing pattern rather than in standout posts are sites I trust more deeply and this one has clearly built that kind of trust.
В статье по вопросам здоровья мы рассматриваем актуальные проблемы, с которыми сталкивается общество. Обсуждаются заболевания, факторы риска и важные аспекты профилактики. Читатели получат полезные советы о том, как сохранить здоровье и улучшить качество жизни.
Следуйте по ссылке – вызов психиатра на дом
В этой публикации мы рассматриваем важную тему борьбы с зависимостями, включая алкогольную и наркотическую зависимости. Мы обсудим методы лечения, реабилитации и поддержку, которые могут помочь людям, столкнувшимся с этой проблемой. Читатели узнают о перспективах выздоровления и важности комплексного подхода.
Где можно узнать подробнее? – детокс24
В этой статье мы рассматриваем разрушительное влияние зависимости на жизнь человека. Обсуждаются аспекты, такие как здоровье, отношения и профессиональные достижения. Читатели узнают о необходимости обращения за помощью и о путях к восстановлению.
Заходи — там интересно – детокс24 электросталь
Now organising my browser bookmarks to give this site easier access, and a look at civicbrisk earned the same organisational priority, the small acts of digital housekeeping I do for sites I expect to use often are themselves a measure of trust and this site has triggered the trust based housekeeping behaviour from me clearly.
Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog article or vice-versa? My site covers a lot of the same topics as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to shoot me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Great blog by the way!
В этой статье мы рассматриваем разные способы борьбы с алкогольной зависимостью. Обсуждаются методы лечения, программы реабилитации и советы для поддержки близких. Читатели получат информацию о том, как преодолеть зависимость и добиться успешного выздоровления.
Откройте для себя больше – вывод из запоя на дому брянск
Этот обзор сосредоточен на различных подходах к избавлению от зависимости. Мы изучим традиционные и альтернативные методы, а также их сочетание для достижения максимальной эффективности. Читатели смогут открыть для себя новые стратегии и подходы, которые помогут в их борьбе с зависимостями.
Только факты! – irkutsk detox24
read the full info here leap wallet extension
Этот текст посвящён сложным аспектам зависимости и её влиянию на жизнь человека. Мы обсудим психологические, физические и социальные последствия зависимого поведения, а также важность своевременного обращения за помощью.
Изучить эмпирические данные – детокс24 балашиха
В этой статье рассматриваются различные аспекты избавления от зависимости, включая физические и психологические методы. Мы обсудим поддержку, мотивацию и стратегии, которые помогут в процессе выздоровления. Читатели узнают, как преодолеть трудности и двигаться к новой жизни без зависимости.
Эксклюзивная информация – Похмельная служба в Краснодаре
Эта медицинская заметка содержит сжатую информацию о новых находках и методах в области здравоохранения. Мы предлагаем читателям свежие данные о заболеваниях, профилактике и лечении. Наша цель — быстро и доступно донести важную информацию, которая поможет в повседневной жизни и понимании здоровья.
Продолжить чтение – кодировка от алкоголя саратов
Took a quick scan first and then went back to read properly because the post deserved it, and a stop at intentionalglobalstore kept me reading carefully too, the kind of writing that earns a slower second pass rather than getting skimmed and forgotten is something I value highly when I happen to find it.
Официальный дилер STELS, SEGWAY, BRC квадроциклы с китая купить с доставкой
частный нарколог на дом частный нарколог на дом
В данной статье мы акцентируем внимание на важности поддержки в процессе выздоровления. Мы обсудим, как друзья, семья и профессионалы могут помочь тем, кто сталкивается с зависимостями. Читатели получат практические советы, как поддерживать близких на пути к новой жизни.
Запросить дополнительные данные – detox24
В этой статье рассматриваются способы преодоления зависимости и успешные истории людей, которые справились с этой проблемой. Мы обсудим важность поддержки со стороны близких и профессионалов, а также стратегии, которые могут помочь в процессе выздоровления. Научитесь первоочередным шагам к новой жизни.
Выяснить больше – капельница от запоя на дому