Ottawa Oddball

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Impressions and uptight people

So ends/begins another wonderful week in the world of buck that I live. Last week had the same highs and lows as the previous. For some odd reason I was thinking recently about eulogies. In particular, I was thinking about my dad's future funeral, unless he's immortal and just not told anyone and wondering if I were to give a eulogy what I would say. I envisioned myself up on some kind of stage/podium looking down at a piece of paper. Not sure what would be on it, but I'm sure I would have one of those quick hums and head nodding and start it by recanting Tom Cruise's last line in The Last Samurai...." I remember hearing the words of Nathan Aldren when asked how Katsumoto the leader of the Samurai died, Cruise responds by saying I will tell you how he lived". And then I would carry on my speech. And then at the reception I imagine it would be like the ending of Big Fish, minus the giant and asian girls joined at the hip. Everyone would be smiling telling stories and laughing. That to me seems like a pretty good way to go.

Anyway, not sure why I thought to write that but that's what you get. Now last night was not unlike any other. The air was hot and still. We were waiting for the new minister and his family to arrive for a swim and dinner. Once they all showed up I mosied downstairs to join them. The interesting thing about this guy, and I can't say I've met anyone quite like him, is he always no matter where or what situation will always go out of his way to stop and say hi with great enthusiam, almost like you're two old friends seeing each other once again. He does the same thing at church to me. Makes me feel like there are at least some decent people with a real energy for life still out there. Anyway, I really hadn't talked or conversed with him really and last night was kind of the big first impression for both of us. I had already met his wife and she didn't really know how to "take" me. My mom told me she didn't "get" some of my sarcastic humour, or at least what I think is humour. So, keeping this in mind I head downstairs after dinner and we have a few games of pool. It was almost like neither of us wanted to talk in fear of saying the wrong thing. So I tried to tame myself. And the question I hate answering anymore is the "where do you go to school and what are you taking" question. I feel my answer makes me sound very arrogant and prideful because of my program. Honours in Biopharmaceutical Science with concentration in medicinal chemistry. So now I just say science. So after we played he thanked me and I returned it and upstairs we went. I don't know if I make his family feel uncomfortable or what, but the first time I met him and his wife I must have said something or done something. This segues into uptight people. I'm tired of puting on the nice happy go lucky or, if the situation warrents it, a conservative mild mannered air when I meet people for the first time. From now on it's going to be me and only me. If I don't scare them off the first time then i'm sure they'll come to love me.

Oh well, back to the grind, hopefully I can get to ottawa next weekend to let loose from the boredom of cobourg. And I gotta call ray back. I wonder what he's up to after coming back from paris.

lates kiddos

3 Comments:

  • Dealing with people is always a hard thing, since we are very sensitive and read into things wrong.
    If I know that one of my friends doesn't get my sarcasm, I'm going to minimalize my sarcasm, not because I'm being fake with myself or others, but because I know that they can't handle it.
    Everybody does it to a degree. If you came over to my house and had dinner with my mom, you probably wouldn't talk about girls at the table. That's 'me and Buck' convo, not 'me, Buck and my mom' (although she could handle it. She'd probably shock you more than you could shock her).
    Its alright to be sensitive to people insecurities and (most often) weird quirks.

    Hope to see you in O-Town. Give me a shout before you leave.

    Ottawa's Finest Specimen

    By Blogger Dalton, at 11:51 AM  

  • buck, loving who you are at all times. make no apologies. make no mistake. we change, yes, but some things will always be. this is beauty.
    love matt...
    so ottawa? guy canada day, you know. dalton, vernors, you know.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:19 PM  

  • hi Buck,
    Im always afraid that I make a bad first impression - heres hoping Im wrong :)

    By Blogger bex, at 4:32 PM  

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