Character Roles

I'm a character.

Some say a cartoon character.

Some say a nerd or geek type.

Some say a comedienne.

Some say a sarcastic bitch.

Some say a sounding board.

It's something that I've crafted over years and is centered around entertaining people. I rarely break character.

There are things that are expected out of me by friends, family, colleagues, students and I will play the role... usually even if I don't feel the part.

During a drive along Highway 50 as the country rolled out ahead of me I wondered if I had become so good at playing this character that I had lost myself in it.

To a point I think I have and when I reflect I will put myself into those roles on how to react, how to act, and how to be.

In acting class we learned about acting with a mask on and when you can make that mask come alive and you see the faces moving through words and overt body language.

The Greeks would be proud.

Ceasing Ramble.

Mom: 1, Hubris: 0

I came home from work today and absentmindedly turned on my computer as I picked up a plastic bottle from my desk and took it to my recycling. I turned back and saw an ominous black screen with a blinking cursor.

I leaned in and looked at it and restarted my computer.

Blinking cursor.

Restart.

Blinking cursor.

Restart.

Blink _ ing _ cur _ sor

I did what any rational person would do I immediately called Nik and then texted Bryce. The two individuals that can usually find out what error messages are all about.

Nikki was busying happy hour-ing it up with her colleagues. I secretly wished I was as well.

Bryce texted back a simple and peaceful text that either my hard drive was fried or it wasn't plugged in.

I looked at my surge protector and saw it was plugged in and proceeded to unplug every USB connector until I had just my screen and tower plugged in.

Blinking cursor.

I then moved those two plug-ins another power strip.

Success! So I thought, there must have been an electric disturbance in my house and my surge protector gave its life for my non-turned on electronics. Thank you, you've been good to me for eight years surge protector.

I went to the dreaded Waldemart and purchased a new lovely power strip with childproof plug-ins; just in case Beth visits.

As I was plugging everything back in I squatted down on the ground and plugged back in my last USB port when I squinted and saw what looked to be a headphone jack. I gasped and recalled this conversation two days ago with my mother:

Me: I just want speakers with a headphone jack, the new ones I got don't have them.
Mom: Our computer has a headphone jack in the tower.
Me: Mom, yours is new mine is eight years old.
Mom: Yeah, but our computer has a headphone jack... I think I mean I haven't been on it in a while.
Me: Mom, my computer is not like yours.
Mom: Okay... so what kind of speakers?

I called my Mom this evening and started off the conversation the way anyone would like to hear: "I'm going to tell you a story that ends with, 'You were right.'".

Sometimes just when you think you know more about computers than your parents they sneak in and hit you over the head with repetitive observations.

Ceasing Ramble.