I went to a very good small, liberal arts college with some incredibly smart people. As such, sometimes I hate running into them. When they ask what I'm doing, I always feel weird just saying "computer support for XYZ company" because invariably they come back with, "Really? I just came back from a 3 month TDY at The Hague where I helped craft legislation to recover millions of dollars for starving families." To which I respond, "Uh...Wow...Cool." I mean, how the hell do you respond to something like that: "Oh yeah, well I just pushed out 200 copies of Windows XP Service Pack 2 and had zero failures. So there. Asshead."
What brought this about? Well, today at lunch I ran into a fraternity brother that I hadn't seen in quite a few years. We chatted a bit and we went through the whole 'what are you up to' routine and it turns out he's a Product Manager for a chemical company in Austin. This is after getting a graduate degree in Chemistry from UT. "What do I do? Uh, I do computer support." *Sigh*.
As my buddies and I are leaving, I lean in to say goodbye and notice he's sitting with his sister, who also went to school with us. We start chatting and when she tells me where she's working, the only thing I can think of to say is, "Well, don't run over me if you see me riding my bike out there." to which she responds, "I try to be careful." To which my brain responds, "You, Sir, are a major Dork." After a few more minutes, we say goodbye and I head back to my friends...who make me walk, in the rain, to the car.
You see, it wouldn't have been so bad if I, uh, well, um, if, uh, if I hadn't had a crush on her in school. She was pretty cute, and still is, so I got a bit flustered when talking to her, plus, I knew my buddies were waiting on me. She, uh, did give me a pretty firm, extended handshake. Ladies, does that mean anything? I think she may be single, too. But I'm not sure....cause I couldn't see her left hand. And yes, I made it a point to look. And, uh, I looked her up in the phonebook, too.
I still feel like a dork.
You'll never know until you try - give her a call. If for no other reason than to complete the "catching up" that is your perfect excuse. If she is available, even better.
I say go for it.
Posted at April 1, 2005 03:57 PMA very cute dork.
Posted at April 1, 2005 04:51 PMGive it a whirl!!! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Did you go to Millsaps??
Posted at April 1, 2005 05:26 PMZero failures? That is impressive. Most of the people I know can't roll out updates for one installation, let alone 200, without any failures.
[sigh]
Yeah, I'm single too.
Posted at April 4, 2005 09:14 AMSo, maybe she has a thing for dorks. Nothing ventured, etc. Give her a call, Howard. And if you do, have a plan. Know if there is a concert or something happening and invite her.
Good luck, man!
Posted at April 4, 2005 01:36 PMsome girls like dorks. I say dork away!
Posted at April 5, 2005 06:20 AMGive her a call. Seriously!
On the other note - I think the overachievers, achieve less as they get older. At first my college chums were all working for fortune 500 companies and blowing me away with their glam jobs while I toiled away at nonglamorous non-profits.
Now most of them are mid-sr.-managers at nothing corporations doing groan work.
I'm having the last laugh. Hopefully, so will you.