I love editing, but it seems increasingly true to me that the things
that make me really good at my job can make actual life with myself kinda hard for me sometimes. And I presume for other
people, too, though I don't know. My friends seem to like me okay.
Perhaps I choose friends who like hanging out with a person who can
turn coal into diamonds; what do I know.
I mean: my mother sends me this adorable postcard from Turkey and tells me that turquoise comes from there, and I can't be all "That's nice!" or anything; no, I have to be totally ahem-ahem about it, because turquoise does not either come from Turkey and I see no reason to perpetuate mythology, particularly now that the internet is always open. I should point out that she's somewhat complicit in this ahem-ity, as (at least as I recall it) we were allowed to get up from the dinner table only for emergencies, and that "emergencies" extended to "consulting a reference work in the course of settling an argument". It may not have been that strict, but I remember running for the World Book more than once.
I come home from a night on the town and then send the people I just saw links to back up the facts I presented over the course of what was a perfectly lovely evening. See?! I'm yelling across the midnight internet. I was right!* I will first drink and then fact-check you under the table, is all I'm saying. On the plus side, nobody sends me "funny" email forwards anymore. Or political stuff either. If only for that reason, I don't think I'm going to change; I'm just observing that what is "giving up a cheap instant laugh for the prolonged thrill of learning and discovery" for me may come off as "a lot of furious knicker-twisting for no good reason" to people who think that it is fun to build a straw man and set it on fire.
I mean: my mother sends me this adorable postcard from Turkey and tells me that turquoise comes from there, and I can't be all "That's nice!" or anything; no, I have to be totally ahem-ahem about it, because turquoise does not either come from Turkey and I see no reason to perpetuate mythology, particularly now that the internet is always open. I should point out that she's somewhat complicit in this ahem-ity, as (at least as I recall it) we were allowed to get up from the dinner table only for emergencies, and that "emergencies" extended to "consulting a reference work in the course of settling an argument". It may not have been that strict, but I remember running for the World Book more than once.
I come home from a night on the town and then send the people I just saw links to back up the facts I presented over the course of what was a perfectly lovely evening. See?! I'm yelling across the midnight internet. I was right!* I will first drink and then fact-check you under the table, is all I'm saying. On the plus side, nobody sends me "funny" email forwards anymore. Or political stuff either. If only for that reason, I don't think I'm going to change; I'm just observing that what is "giving up a cheap instant laugh for the prolonged thrill of learning and discovery" for me may come off as "a lot of furious knicker-twisting for no good reason" to people who think that it is fun to build a straw man and set it on fire.
I also send links to funny (thoroughly vetted) stuff, so you don't need to be scared to be my friend or anything. And I make good martinis, not least because I'm on a constant quest for the perfect one. Come over and help.
*ETA: If I was wrong? I will send you the links to show that I learned that you were right.
see this is why i never talk when i visit you guys.
Posted by: mig | November 03, 2009 at 02:37 PM