Some Thoughts 1
Gotta love my nondescript titles, right? Anyway, these thoughts jump from one to the next without a good transition because lazy.
So I guess the first thing was that I met Milo at Comic Con. I didn't prepare any questions to ask him for the 1 or so minute we get to talk to him during the autograph signing, which was really dumb and I don't know why I did that. But in retrospect, what would be fitting to say to him? I don't want to sound generic but at the same time, how do you get something a little less superficial out of a very short meet-and-greet? I guess I sort of did that. I didn't comment on his work or ask if he was excited for the release of his new show because I can get that info from a bunch of videos online. It's not that I'm not interested or don't care because I'm literally there supporting/validating his work with a ton of other fans. I guess what I want is to get to know him as a person. I will say that he was really hard to read, not that that should come as a surprise given his profession. So, he asked where I was from, like he does to everyone, and I replied, Detroit. Then he does the typical trying to relate piece by mentioning how his grandmother is from there, how his grandparents met there. Maybe I asked how she was since he talked about how she was in her 90s and not doing the greatest because while her body was failing, her mind was not. And at that point, I realized I never put much thought into that kind of silent, frustrating suffering.What do people do when they're in a helpless situation? How do they try to cope with the reality? Based on a quick reflection of my life so far, I think everything has been in my control and it was just a matter of what I did or did not do.
Other than that, I just commented on how normal he seemed. I think that's what dawned on me as I saw Sean Patrick Flanery signing and speaking to his fans (before Milo). They were very real, in the flesh, and just like everyone else, except with a bit of a unique career. Same goes for Norman Reedus and whoever plays Michonne. I felt a bit silly paying for signatures and a photo op but I guess it's not silly in the sense that you are supporting someone's work and essentially are paying for the opportunity to talk to them briefly. In the span of 30 minutes or less my mood went from uber excited fangirling to calm, clarifying realization to depressed reality. It was somewhat of a "what's the point" kind of feeling. Our paths would never cross and we would never form any kind of meaningful connection.
So then, where should we draw the line between accepting our limitations and striving tirelessly after our dreams? If I had taken after my parents' perspective on my abilities and wants, I would not be where I am today. I don't think they actually believed I would accomplish each of the things I did, from my first public accounting internship, to the second, to the offer in NYC, to finishing grad school while working, to receiving my current full-time offer. And the list continues with them expecting me to be fired in 3 months and never passing my CPA. So... I mean, I never thought NYC would happen. I just pursued all leads, no matter how remote. At the same time, I don't want to be naive. It is important to recognize limitations so that a plan may be devised to work around it. I suppose then the original question is when do we truly give up?
So the next thing I wanted to mention was when we took a brief stop on the road trip from Detroit to Chicago, there was this old couple enjoying a couple hamburgers. It made me sad because I would hope that if their children were still around, that they would be taking better care of their parents than to let them eat the worst food possible. But my friend offered a different perspective, that maybe they were enjoying what they knew was bad for them because to hell with it, not that long to live anyway. We don't know if it was by choice or not, how often they go, etc. In a way, it's more damaging to be eating that way at a young age than old? Still, something about fragile people putting shit into their bodies bugged me. I suppose I'd be annoyed if it was some 5-year-old too. It's funny because as a kid, my parents definitely took me to McD's a bunch of times. If I ever have kids, I would want to instill a better kind of diet culture. One that doesn't teach kids to enjoy pop, fast food, junk food. I guess the topic of diet culture is for another day.
So I guess the first thing was that I met Milo at Comic Con. I didn't prepare any questions to ask him for the 1 or so minute we get to talk to him during the autograph signing, which was really dumb and I don't know why I did that. But in retrospect, what would be fitting to say to him? I don't want to sound generic but at the same time, how do you get something a little less superficial out of a very short meet-and-greet? I guess I sort of did that. I didn't comment on his work or ask if he was excited for the release of his new show because I can get that info from a bunch of videos online. It's not that I'm not interested or don't care because I'm literally there supporting/validating his work with a ton of other fans. I guess what I want is to get to know him as a person. I will say that he was really hard to read, not that that should come as a surprise given his profession. So, he asked where I was from, like he does to everyone, and I replied, Detroit. Then he does the typical trying to relate piece by mentioning how his grandmother is from there, how his grandparents met there. Maybe I asked how she was since he talked about how she was in her 90s and not doing the greatest because while her body was failing, her mind was not. And at that point, I realized I never put much thought into that kind of silent, frustrating suffering.What do people do when they're in a helpless situation? How do they try to cope with the reality? Based on a quick reflection of my life so far, I think everything has been in my control and it was just a matter of what I did or did not do.
Other than that, I just commented on how normal he seemed. I think that's what dawned on me as I saw Sean Patrick Flanery signing and speaking to his fans (before Milo). They were very real, in the flesh, and just like everyone else, except with a bit of a unique career. Same goes for Norman Reedus and whoever plays Michonne. I felt a bit silly paying for signatures and a photo op but I guess it's not silly in the sense that you are supporting someone's work and essentially are paying for the opportunity to talk to them briefly. In the span of 30 minutes or less my mood went from uber excited fangirling to calm, clarifying realization to depressed reality. It was somewhat of a "what's the point" kind of feeling. Our paths would never cross and we would never form any kind of meaningful connection.
So then, where should we draw the line between accepting our limitations and striving tirelessly after our dreams? If I had taken after my parents' perspective on my abilities and wants, I would not be where I am today. I don't think they actually believed I would accomplish each of the things I did, from my first public accounting internship, to the second, to the offer in NYC, to finishing grad school while working, to receiving my current full-time offer. And the list continues with them expecting me to be fired in 3 months and never passing my CPA. So... I mean, I never thought NYC would happen. I just pursued all leads, no matter how remote. At the same time, I don't want to be naive. It is important to recognize limitations so that a plan may be devised to work around it. I suppose then the original question is when do we truly give up?
So the next thing I wanted to mention was when we took a brief stop on the road trip from Detroit to Chicago, there was this old couple enjoying a couple hamburgers. It made me sad because I would hope that if their children were still around, that they would be taking better care of their parents than to let them eat the worst food possible. But my friend offered a different perspective, that maybe they were enjoying what they knew was bad for them because to hell with it, not that long to live anyway. We don't know if it was by choice or not, how often they go, etc. In a way, it's more damaging to be eating that way at a young age than old? Still, something about fragile people putting shit into their bodies bugged me. I suppose I'd be annoyed if it was some 5-year-old too. It's funny because as a kid, my parents definitely took me to McD's a bunch of times. If I ever have kids, I would want to instill a better kind of diet culture. One that doesn't teach kids to enjoy pop, fast food, junk food. I guess the topic of diet culture is for another day.
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