I've out grown Myspace. I knew it was bound to happen, I just wasn't sure when. I can't take another glittery comment or the 20th run of a high school survey being filled out by my 30 something friends. it was fun at first, creating a profile, taking pride in the fact that I could tweak some code into creating my own layout without resorting to a layout editor, blogging about random things when I should have been reading about international poltical economies. I re-connecetd with dozens of friends cared to the far corners of the globe where only the internet and Coca-Cola connect them with Joe-six-pack sitting here in the states. But now it is just tedious. There are too many falshy whirlly gigs and friend request from "collectors" (you know, those guys that only have girls with big boobs in their top friend lists and not a single picture of themselves). I'm just through with it.
However, just because I no longer update my profile doesn't mean I'm going to scrap my page. Every now and then I still like to check out the bands there. Beisdes it really annoys me to go through my inbox and find messages I can no longer read because someone bailed on their profile and decided to delete the thing. I understand not updating it, leaving a meaage saying find me on facebook, or noting that you've given up technology and can only be reached by way of the post office. I just don't get why you must delete your profile completly.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Howdy
Oh introductions... Yes, yes, they seem so ordinary and are very useful. Yet, for a certain portion of the population, they are anything but simple. Assuming I'm one in a million, at least 6000 people out there also dread the question "So, where are you from?" as much as I do. In fact, I'd almost rather hear "Ya ain't from around here, huh?" That one is at least easy to answer, nope I ain't.
It is difficult and nearly impossible to pin down ones origin when growing up on the move. I can't say that I identify with the city I was born in. I wish I could. The looks of envy I get when I say I was born in Honolulu really makes me wish I remembered more than splashing in the kiddy pool in the backyard. For a while I used to identify with the place I lived the longest in one stretch, around four years in Northern Virginia, but re-enacting adventures from the Goonies on the "lake" behind our house, really doesn't explain a whole lot about who I am today (maybe just my obsession with pirates and strengthened ties to Cannon Beach). I can just forget saying I'm from my new residential local. No one ever believes me if I say I'm from Charlotte. Not even when I'm not in Charlotte and talking to people who could tell you which state the city is in.
So at dinner parties, mixers and other gatherings where small talk is required I dread being asked this question. Part of the problem is that if I do admit that I'm from all over the place people want to know where exactly and then I have a choice to make. Do I give the cryptic "Oh I'm form all over or no where in particular" to do I rattle off a litany of cities in several sates and a handful of nations. Typically the more cryptic answer leads to the listing of places I've lived. very few people are content with the everywhere answer. Depending on who is present at the time, my list of homes evokes one of three typical reactions 9there are other reactions, but these are the most common). First, there is the overwhelmed look. This person stares blankly as if I was reading from some document with a subsection d, clause 2, paragraph 16. I think they are worried I'm going to quiz them later. I can just imagine it now, "Okay, you have 15 seconds to tell me where I was on December 17, 1987, find it on the map and you get extra credit if you can tell me what the number one industry there is- go!" The fact is I can't even tell you where I was in 1987 right off the top of my head.
The second type of person is the one that, if they are polite, are trying not to roll their eyes as they think, gee look at little miss show off, thinks she's so special just because she's been on a transatlantic flight. This one bothers me the most. I could understand this look if I was bragging about graduating in what used to be the court theater of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. But this has never come up in regular conversation. typically I just say I've live all over the US and a few places overseas. If asked I say what countries and cities, but some people get all defensive-like after I say overseas.
The third is the person that wants to grill me on every town I've ever been to. I'm glad that they are interested, but sometimes I'd just like to enjoy my 2 dollar Martini (with Gin... I swear if I have ask specifically for Gin again I'm going to scream! Where do these bartenders come from!?) and hear about what someone else thinks about the election protests in Iran or why they like Ocracoke better than Bodie.
Every once in a while I run in to someone who takes it all in stride and says that's cool and we move on to what do you do for a living. However I like the atypical reactions best. The "Did you stomp on the nuts of the bull at the Galleria?" and the "Isn't it crazy that sprinkles on toast is considered an acceptable choice for a grown man's breakfast there?" folks are so much more fun to run into. It usually means that when I ask them where they are from they will come back with APO AE or DC by way of Nambia and with a slight detour in Aruba. Then I feel I've found a kindred spirit. Now we can talk about our favorite places to find shawarma and how crazy it is to see those three wheeled trucks out on the Autostrada.
've been debating saying I'm from the South. I was born in the southern most state in the Union. I've lived in various southeastern states. And even when I lived overseas I lived in the southern regions of those nations. Yet for some reason I don't think answer is going to get me off the hook, especially not in these parts. Awe well, c'est la vie.
It is difficult and nearly impossible to pin down ones origin when growing up on the move. I can't say that I identify with the city I was born in. I wish I could. The looks of envy I get when I say I was born in Honolulu really makes me wish I remembered more than splashing in the kiddy pool in the backyard. For a while I used to identify with the place I lived the longest in one stretch, around four years in Northern Virginia, but re-enacting adventures from the Goonies on the "lake" behind our house, really doesn't explain a whole lot about who I am today (maybe just my obsession with pirates and strengthened ties to Cannon Beach). I can just forget saying I'm from my new residential local. No one ever believes me if I say I'm from Charlotte. Not even when I'm not in Charlotte and talking to people who could tell you which state the city is in.
So at dinner parties, mixers and other gatherings where small talk is required I dread being asked this question. Part of the problem is that if I do admit that I'm from all over the place people want to know where exactly and then I have a choice to make. Do I give the cryptic "Oh I'm form all over or no where in particular" to do I rattle off a litany of cities in several sates and a handful of nations. Typically the more cryptic answer leads to the listing of places I've lived. very few people are content with the everywhere answer. Depending on who is present at the time, my list of homes evokes one of three typical reactions 9there are other reactions, but these are the most common). First, there is the overwhelmed look. This person stares blankly as if I was reading from some document with a subsection d, clause 2, paragraph 16. I think they are worried I'm going to quiz them later. I can just imagine it now, "Okay, you have 15 seconds to tell me where I was on December 17, 1987, find it on the map and you get extra credit if you can tell me what the number one industry there is- go!" The fact is I can't even tell you where I was in 1987 right off the top of my head.
The second type of person is the one that, if they are polite, are trying not to roll their eyes as they think, gee look at little miss show off, thinks she's so special just because she's been on a transatlantic flight. This one bothers me the most. I could understand this look if I was bragging about graduating in what used to be the court theater of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. But this has never come up in regular conversation. typically I just say I've live all over the US and a few places overseas. If asked I say what countries and cities, but some people get all defensive-like after I say overseas.
The third is the person that wants to grill me on every town I've ever been to. I'm glad that they are interested, but sometimes I'd just like to enjoy my 2 dollar Martini (with Gin... I swear if I have ask specifically for Gin again I'm going to scream! Where do these bartenders come from!?) and hear about what someone else thinks about the election protests in Iran or why they like Ocracoke better than Bodie.
Every once in a while I run in to someone who takes it all in stride and says that's cool and we move on to what do you do for a living. However I like the atypical reactions best. The "Did you stomp on the nuts of the bull at the Galleria?" and the "Isn't it crazy that sprinkles on toast is considered an acceptable choice for a grown man's breakfast there?" folks are so much more fun to run into. It usually means that when I ask them where they are from they will come back with APO AE or DC by way of Nambia and with a slight detour in Aruba. Then I feel I've found a kindred spirit. Now we can talk about our favorite places to find shawarma and how crazy it is to see those three wheeled trucks out on the Autostrada.
've been debating saying I'm from the South. I was born in the southern most state in the Union. I've lived in various southeastern states. And even when I lived overseas I lived in the southern regions of those nations. Yet for some reason I don't think answer is going to get me off the hook, especially not in these parts. Awe well, c'est la vie.
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