Observation's Role in Expression

So, as you may have noticed from the style of my last post that I'm trying to expand my abilities as a writer by incorporating narrations of my various experiences. You probably also noticed that I'm lousy at it, a fact that I'm okay with because when I was writing that post I felt a sense of genuine happiness. I had initially figured that the entirety of my examination of bus passenger interactions would take up as much space as what has now been deemed “part one.” Once I started describing something, I felt inspired to push it a bit further than normal.

Knowing that I have the ability to express literally anything elicits in me a feeling of immeasurable power. Again, no claim is being made that I'm a good writer, but I would certainly like to become one. I feel like that's a good enough reason to practice regularly, to experiment with atypical diction, etc. I feel like writing, paired with the mountains of reading associated with being an English major, offers me an opportunity to develop skills of exceptional worth.

One such skill (and one I hadn't anticipated) is observation. Being an amateur writer, I ran out of things to describe fairly often. My solution was to pay more attention to things, look for patterns in events, and attempt to gather information about people from how they're dressed, what they're carrying, what they're doing, what emotions are they exhibiting (or hiding), etc. Being able to deconstruct a situation is undoubtedly something worth learning how to do, regardless of occupation.

I'd even go so far as to say it could be beneficial to teach, say, high school students how to get as much contextual information about any given scenario as possible. Maybe as freshmen, perhaps later. I could even see it as a senior-level class that attempts to prepare the graduating class for whatever they plan to pursue after high school. If nothing else, the class would stress the value of observation as a means of becoming effective communicators; in familiarizing oneself with one's surroundings in any given circumstance, one gains all the tools necessary to provide a satisfactory account of something.

I feel like too much miscommunication takes place just in my own life, not to mention in the lives of over six billion other people. That fact has motivated me to learn by experience as well as example, to expand my vocabulary, to broaden my cache of sentence structures, etc. Those who can best express themselves have a distinct advantage over most people in terms of societal or economic advancement. They can speak to the largest audience, and thus can gain the attention of masses of people.

Imagine the fluidity of a society with perfect (or nearly perfect) communicative abilities. Would the benefits outweigh what would certainly be lost (potentially all poetic imagery, if you think about it)?

Human Interactions While Using Public Transportation, Part 1

Allow me to begin by saying that I am not an expert in social sciences. I am simply recounting my observations of a social phenomenon that I find moderately interesting. It is unremarkable that billions of people pass by each other every day without even acknowledging one another, but the fact that this behavior continues when they must remain uncomfortably close to each other is worth considering.

Yesterday, like many days, I opted for a ride on the bus over a trek across campus. The bus stop is a great place to see a preview of the awkwardness to come. Even before they're crammed together on the bus, a dozen or so students stand in a sloppy sort of line formation, each stealing glances at each other in what they perceive to be secrecy (I often wear sunglasses, so I can watch people shift their gazes periodically without drawing attention to myself). Occasionally someone will be in the middle of a phone call as we all wait. I particularly enjoy this because there's no way to ignore a single voice in the midst of an otherwise silent crowd. If my fellow students are anything like me (and I'd like to think they are), they can't help but do a bit of eavesdropping in such a situation.

Before we can discuss the ride itself, we must consider the trials of boarding. Our group of students is now beginning to get anxious as the bus comes into sight down the road, across the intersection. As it approaches, the countdown begins on the walk signal that signifies how much longer you've got until the light changes. Finally the bus starts to lurch toward our stop, but what's this? The light's gone yellow... and... red. Red like the wind-whipped faces glaring intently at vehicular salvation, now unabashedly exhibiting disdain at their extended wait.

After what feels like at least ten minutes, the light turns to green and the bus coasts to our stop. The doors open to reveal, in most cases, a driver with little hope left in the decency of human beings. Even the most enthusiastic ones seem to be putting on a show for you. Whatever semblance of an ordered line that existed up to this point is demolished, with a bottlenecked semicircle left in its place.

When I finally got past the people who walk so slowly that they make you wonder how early they have to leave for things to get there on time, I faced a gauntlet of eyes, examining every aspect of me as I carefully treaded down the walkway. I don't like the way they look at me; I feel alienated for utilizing a resource that part of my tuition supports. I glanced to my left to find a guy using the seat next to him for his backpack. He was staring intently out the window, noticeably attempting to avoid eye contact with anybody. He didn't want anyone near him, but he didn't want to bear the burden of the condescending "standing room only" crowd's collective gaze. His inconsiderate act is noted, but never challenged.

At this point I have made the transformation from passenger-to-be to passenger en-route. I had no choice but to occupy a space quite close to the rear doorway. A steel tube divides the space in this area while also providing something to hold onto. Now, this particular bus ride took place before ten o'clock in the morning, so it was understandably packed. Most logical students prefer to get their classes done early so they can use the rest of their day to do other productive things, you see. This being the case, I found myself nearly pressed up against the glass of the folding doors.

I suddenly came to the realization that, even when forced to stand within inches of one another, people continue to pretend that nobody else exists. It's quite a sight to behold. I will continue this narrative-based analysis tomorrow, but I imagine that there's enough here for a bit of discussion in the meantime.

Don't Be That Guy

Lately I've been struggling with a problematic situation. It is necessary that I tread lightly, lest I slip and careen into an abysmal horror that is best described as “being that guy.” Let me begin by asking this: have you ever found yourself in a class that was painfully simple for you but seemingly not for anybody else? Did the teacher of this class ever get frustrated when you were the only person to raise your hand, prompting them to quite thoughtlessly say, “Is X the only person who's going to answer today? Does nobody else, NOBODY besides X want to try? X, I've called on you too much today, let's give someone else a chance!” This is pretty much exactly how my problem started.

First of all, how is the person who actually knows the answer and wants to talk about it supposed to feel? Even before teachers make statements similar to the aforementioned examples, it's evident when they start to get tired of calling on you. The way their eyes first fix on you, then trail aimlessly through the classroom as they hope, even PRAY that somebody else shows interest, then back to you (as a side note, I find it particularly interesting how long some instructors allow this to go on). At this point, aware that he or she can't outright refuse to call on you, the teacher reluctantly allows you to speak your mind. Now, I tolerated this throughout my grammar school and high school career, but now that I'm in college I've had enough. Should I honestly have to sit there with the answer in my head while somebody else stutters out nonsense? How does that benefit me in any way? I'm not saying that I'm unwilling to listen when somebody else thinks they know the answer and want to participate. That is an entirely different situation. What I'm saying is this: when a teacher knows that I am the only person in the room besides him or her that actually cares about what's going on and decides to force someone else to talk, I call shenanigans.

As a result of this, I started to feel less and less obligated to attend the class. Honestly, why even go if all I do is occupy space? Am I supposed to follow along with busy work that I've been able to do for over a year? However, I digress.

Recently this teacher has started to treat me with a noticeable degree of disdain for being absent often. I, for one, find this to be an act of gross hypocrisy. If I'm not going to be called on, why should I even waste my time? What incentive is there for me to attend a class that has been stripped of value? I honestly feel that every time I go to that class and don't answer regularly, I may as well have stayed in bed that day. It's as though I'm being told, “I am literally taking points from your final grade because you can find better uses for your time.”

Up to now I've only described one half of the whole situation. The lame part is that it's quite difficult to find someone who can empathize with me. I'm aware of how easily someone could come to the conclusion that I'm just a snotty nerd if I just say, “Don't you hate how easy this class is?” I mean, my friends generally side with me when I present them the scenario, but that's really more a product of them knowing me than appreciating my dilemma, I feel.

Now I ask you to weigh in on this topic. Not necessarily my specific issue, but anything of the like. Perhaps together we can eliminate at least one possible incarnation of “that guy.”

Formalities

Let me begin by welcoming you to my blog, the fireside symposium. As the name suggests, this blog, I hope, will serve as a relaxed environment for discussion on various topics. It occurred to me the other day that most of the arguments I engage in with my peers end in some degree of disappointment on my part, so I began to consider the vast amount of perspectives to be found via the internet. As I read, I found that not only was I correct regarding the volume of opinionated discourse online, but also that expressing one's thoughts might be more of a challenge than I had initially envisioned. Therefore, I intend to also use this blog as a means of improving my writing skills, and I would invite anyone who feels like learning a bit about how to write to join me in this quest. After all, one must practice if one wishes to get better at something.

Let's talk a little bit, then, about expression. Have you ever been engaged in a conversation with someone and suddenly come to the realization that he or she has absolutely no idea what you're talking about? Few things, dear reader, are more frustrating to me than when that happens. My frustration is compounded when a person believes that he or she is completely following my logic and then regurgitates a version of what I've said that instantly brings the conversation to a standstill. Now, as I am an egotistical person (I will make no claim otherwise), I would often conclude that the listener was at fault for not being able to comprehend my statements. Only recently did I even DARE to consider that I was at least partly responsible for the confusion. This consideration, however, has opened many doors for me. Ridding myself of the notion that everything I say is universally understood was one of the most beneficial things that I could have done for myself.

This being said, there are certain people out there who make fully explaining yourself an impractical venture. Time and time again I've found myself unable to continue conversing with somebody due to how difficult it is to convey a crucial point. Normally I respond to these situations by attempting to diversify my vocabulary and altering my delivery. If after that, however, I have made no progress, I generally like to move on. I would ask that anybody who runs into similar issues on the blog treat them the same way. It would be best for the functionality of this blog if everybody would exert more effort than usual in making people able to understand just what it is you're trying to convey.