The other day was "imbroglio." It was technically fine - it made perfect sense and was correct - but I always feel like those 15 cent words are going to be what causes the guy who heats up the "LAMER" branding iron to sear it into my assflesh a little longer and deeper than is really necessary.
Apart from my anxiety over word choice, it was a remarkably good work day. A lot of Flow. As much Flow as I can have in my job, I guess. I was a Hero in a meeting where my boss was an audience member/participant. Things come to me, I do them, they are done, and so forth. Things I work on are having Far Reaching and Positive Effects for Mankind, putting me on the Fast Track to being a Captain of Humanity's Cruise-Ship into the Future. My shoes had a nice shine on them. Lots of Flow.
I've been taking a few more sartorial risks lately. Today I rocked a cardigan (cardigans not only can be rocked, they must be rocked - there is no other way they can be worn). I am glad I wore it. It cultivates a bookish, professorial air and, as geeks, I think we have to take back the cardigan from the white belt/complicated haircut set. In America, the cardigan has a lot of values embedded in it, depending on the context, but in most places it comes from Mr. Rogers, right? The stewards to the cardigan legacy that Mr. Rogers should be geeks, not hipsters. Cardigans look really good with a bow tie, too, but I haven't found the courage to do that outside yet.
The weird guy who sits next to me - well, I don't like him. But I have begun to humor him by talking to him once a week (even ignoring his frequent smoke breaks, he works 50% less than I do, which is obviously very commendable, since I am probably in the office 30 hours per week). This week's conversation centered around some anxiety he's having about a work thing. I didn't quite catch what it was, since I was kind of thinking about which bus I should catch, but by the time I realized it was the central thing to what he was talking about I was already way behind. I tried treading water for a while, but then started realizing I needed to get out. Here's how you do it: make a joke or two to alter the direction of the conversation. It gets them off-balance for a moment. Then toss in a "Well, see ya later!" It's so easy.
