First Day off the Beaten Path (morning)

Today started just like any other day. I had a hard time getting up, I didn't want to go to class, I struggled with myself for a good 20 minutes on the pros and cons of skipping class. The cons won out, I slowly got ready and then off I went. But that's about as far as the similarities went.

As soon as I started out making my own path I got a LOT of looks. I even got pulled over a few times for "going the wrong way." Apparently "roads" and the "right side of the road" with the "flow of traffic" is the proper way to go. Up yours copper! Well, not really. Of course I'm going to follow the established paths when driving, that'd just be crazy not too! My car isn't equipped for offroading.

However, I did get some weird look from a girl, no idea why. Then as soon as I park in my parking spot I get ANOTHER weird look from some guy getting out of his car. Maybe it's something on my face/my face itself. Who cares. I get out and walk through a large patch of shrubbery! YES! I had taken the unwalked path. I looked at it before my voyage and after my voyage and it hadn't changed very much. This "making a new path" mission was going to be harder than I thought. After I got off my infant path is when the strangeness happened.

There was some older guy walking next to me (I was on the sidewalk by now) and we were sharing step for step, mirroring eachother. Up the stairs we each took two steps at a time. At the top of the stairs I hear a "So what classes do you do?" I look and he's clearly talking to me:

"Umm, I'm going to literature right now."
"No, no. What's your major?"
"Undecided, but I used to be an engineering major."
"Oh yeah? Lots of money in that."
"Yeah, but it sucked. I didn't like it at all."

Then we got into a conversation about personal fulfillment and money and he tells me he's set for life through various real estate management that he's done. I must have said something hilarious at some point because he threw his arm around me, guffawing. Yes, guffawing. It's not often when I make a person guffaw but I just hit this guy's funny bone. I figure there must be something to this guy. What is he trying to sell me? Or did he just want to touch my shoulder? And if so, was I just molested?

He starts talking about how he had a dream job (photography) and how he followed it for a year and it just didn't make enough money. At one point you have to realize you might not be able to do the job you love if you want to live a comfortable life. To which I reply "that may be so, but I'd rather live my dream for a year and be poor than not live my dream for a bit and be rich." He sort of ignored that and started talking about his digital camera.

He wants to sell me a digital camera I bet.

Nope.

Then he starts talking about his real estate and how he's designing a website for it.

He's trying to do some weird real estate website recruitment.

Nein.

That was all. The conversation ended with us introducing eachother. His name was Carl. We parted ways, he wished me well in following my dream and I wished him a good day since he had already lived his dream, apparently. It would have been rather futile to wish him something he already had.

The conversation made me think, though. There isn't a whole lot of money in this art business unless you distinguish yourself. Luckily for me I'm looking to go into more commercial art and not art art, so maybe I won't get stuck in that trap. It did make me worry a bit though. I may end up doing something I dislike in order to make ends meet. Maybe I'll go off the beaten path in that respect as well, be one of the few people who gets to live doing something they love. One can only hope. Oh well, on to class!

I get to my classroom and there is a note on the door. Class is cancelled. Back to my car I go, making sure I walk over the infant path I started this morning. Home I go, blog I post and now nap I take. I am tired.

This "off the beaten path" thing could be interesting...

FINALLY A NEW POST! Unfortunately it's not terribly exciting, just a list of random thoughts I had during the course of the day annnnnnnnd go!

-Socks are the worst article of clothing ever (next to gloves, but Californians have no need for gloves). Honestly, they are one of the only articles of clothing that you can, and often do, lose half of. Also, I can never seem the find socks when I am in a hurry and I am surrounded by socks when I am not. Perhaps my hatred of socks stems from my level of inorganization when it comes to them. However, I bet my level of inorganization stems from my hatred. It's a vicious cycle.

-At Mira Costa I park kind of far away from the campus because by the time I get to school the main parking lots are full. This leaves me about ten minutes of walking time, which is probably good for me. I see a lot of man-made paths on my short jaunt and I decided that I'm going to make my own path through some brush starting tomorrow. I don't know if one person over an extended period of time will have an impact so hopefully people will see the path I walk and follow me. Ask me for updates on the progress if you want.

-The kid currently presenting about 16th century Portuguese mariner culture just said "seamen." Except he has somewhat of a speech impediment and it was long and drawn out and was more like "seeemennnn." Combine that with the words before and he just said "powerful portuguese semen." It made me laugh. A guy in the group presenting in front of the class also laughed. Which made me feel not as immature. We also exchanged knowing glances and had somewhat of a moment.

-I like the knowing/unspoken "moments" with complete strangers. You don't know if they are a bad person or a good person, if you'd be friends or not or anything about that person except that at that single moment you understand eachother. It's a neat feeling.

-Do animals ever become bored? Have you ever looked at an animal and thought they looked bored? I know I haven't. Lucky jerkbag animals. I want to never be bored ever again.

-Do blind people (by birth) discriminate by race? Do they hear someone's voice, stereotype that voice and think "i hate this stupid jew/black/mexican/whitey/asian/etc?" And if they DO shouldn't it be fair for us "seers" (that's what they call us) to discriminate against them? I THINK SO. Next blind person you see, poke them in their eyes. When they ask what you're doing just say something along the lines of "just testing so I can know if my discrimination against you is just."

And that's about it for now.