I had a supervisor who once took me on a little stroll around the campus of our large corporation to fill me in on what was wrong with my career trajectory. His summation? That I had a "confidence issue." I said, "Well, I wouldn't be able to make that assessment, myself, but you if you think it's the case, I guess it's probably true." This was a joke that went right over his head.
For what it's worth, that same man once took me for a beer, and pocketed his wedding ring upon spying an attractive woman sitting at the bar. So, you know, his idea of confidence bumps up against my idea of sociopathy.
Telescoping sensations: feeling as if I have a place in the universe versus feeling like I am one of the incalculably insignificant mass of humanity. Encountering new people always bring this feeling up, which, I suppose, is why I find myself a small room to sit in and prefer to stay there for decades.
Duluth makes an appearance both because that was where my father (inexplicably) ended up retiring, and where I went to fetch him when he made his final move to be closer to me in Vermont, and also because I had been watching Maria Bamford. Feeling close to my Midwestern roots, and bemused by the idea that a version of Hell involves an endless haunting of past transgressions (however slight) through grating politeness.
Guy is weighing the possibility that there might exist a reality of positive change in the world. He holds his hands in hope, but the prospect remains terrifying.
Reading this several years on and I see I misused the word 'bemused', which, ironically, is bemusing. The hope cited in the final frame was appropriately misplaced. As with all my comics, the theme turned out to be one of social disconnect.
I had a supervisor who once took me on a little stroll around the campus of our large corporation to fill me in on what was wrong with my career trajectory. His summation? That I had a "confidence issue." I said, "Well, I wouldn't be able to make that assessment, myself, but you if you think it's the case, I guess it's probably true." This was a joke that went right over his head.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, that same man once took me for a beer, and pocketed his wedding ring upon spying an attractive woman sitting at the bar. So, you know, his idea of confidence bumps up against my idea of sociopathy.
Telescoping sensations: feeling as if I have a place in the universe versus feeling like I am one of the incalculably insignificant mass of humanity. Encountering new people always bring this feeling up, which, I suppose, is why I find myself a small room to sit in and prefer to stay there for decades.
Duluth makes an appearance both because that was where my father (inexplicably) ended up retiring, and where I went to fetch him when he made his final move to be closer to me in Vermont, and also because I had been watching Maria Bamford. Feeling close to my Midwestern roots, and bemused by the idea that a version of Hell involves an endless haunting of past transgressions (however slight) through grating politeness.
Guy is weighing the possibility that there might exist a reality of positive change in the world. He holds his hands in hope, but the prospect remains terrifying.
Reading this several years on and I see I misused the word 'bemused', which, ironically, is bemusing. The hope cited in the final frame was appropriately misplaced. As with all my comics, the theme turned out to be one of social disconnect.
ReplyDelete