Over the course of the last year and a half, I have had the opportunity to meet some significant players in world politics: Vice President Cheney, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, and now Condoleezza Rice. And I feel conflicted.
I think I should be excited to meet these people, who shape international relations and make the global community what it is. I see other people going crazy to get pictures with these individuals. But I stand there, within a few steps of these variously-renowned figures, and think to myself: "meh."
I just don't get too excited about meeting people in a profession that holds little interest for me. I suppose that's the case with everyone -- a lawyer might get excited about meeting a Supreme Court Justice but be bored with shaking a well-known astronaut's hand. Or a scientician, who might love to meet Stephen Hawking but couldn't care less about hi-fiving a professional sport star.
I guess I feel that I should be excited about this stuff, but I'm not. Or maybe I'm just annoyed that others around me assume I have as much interest in it as they do: talking incessantly about this or that as if I care, while I'm trying to figure out where their channel button is -- or at least the mute button.
4 comments:
Big ups to you, Paul, for a well crafted post. Write more often, please. Ppl. like to read it, even if they don't shower you with as much attention as you'd like.
I guess I'd be excited, if only to have the chance to meet someone who's worked extremely hard and has achieved a great deal of success in his or her life. In Condo's case, that's a bigger accomplishment than, say, GWB. Our C student president.
By virtue of working where you do, you're surrounded by people who find politics and its characters to be fascinating. Of course they believe you do, too.
I think you have the middle class malaise. It's a midwest epidemic, really. A curable disorder, but also one which can maintained by highly functional people!
Here's hoping George Lucas stops by Korea to promote the next Star Wars...or, at least, you don't have to watch "The OC" to see the preview. svb
I agree, post more often.
On the other subject though, I wonder if the excitement might have to do with how much you like the person's achievements. I would be much more excited to meet Robert Deniro than I would to meet Jim Carrey because of the difference in how much I appreciate each of their works. You tend to get more excited about what you care about. Many people do get very excited about anyone who is famous and will behave that way while others just go "Meh" and move on. Some of it may be because not all fame and success is truly earned see Shane's mentioned C student president.
It's the way you feel, most of those people don't get it when you are excited about the newest action figures or I'm thrilled by a new wine. Different strokes for different folks. Of course I have no idea how to get people to shut up I tend to just glaze over and say u-huh alot.
Yeah dawg, post more often. me likes. I enjoyed meeting Goldberg, and wrestlin with Animal of the Road Warriors a lot more than shaking Clintons hand back in the day.
Along that line (kinda), I'd rather meet a normal citizen of a different culture than I would a bigwig or popular American icon any day of the week. (or night)
czesc! (polish for casual 'see ya later')
Aaron
It could be worse. You could be in the line of work and still not care. Or, better yet, have to argue about which elevator they take in a building, or where they're sitting at lunch. *sigh*
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