The Black Stripes

Going back to school has put me in situations that I wouldn't be in, had I continued in the business world. For example, I have become intimately familiar with those local establishments that provide free WiFi.

One of these establishments is a Caribou Coffee, located less than a mile away from school. I went over there to read up on the physiology of respiration and to get my mocha on. Shortly after I settled down at a table, the music of the White Stripes came on over the coffeehouse speakers.

The nerdy, white, IT professional behind me audibly tensed as he spoke into what can only be described as a double-laptop.

If you are unfamiliar with the White Stripes, they are a two-person rock band from Detroit. They look like this:

They sound like this.

The IT man's comment to his co-worker was that it was rather "jarring" to hear "southern, African-American, rock-and-roll blues at a homogenous, suburban, public place."

He then went on to erroneously compare big band jazz (which he found delicious) to "African-American jazz."

I can only assume that Steve Urkel was on the other end of the line.

Intruder

C managed to lure me over to a marathon tapering seminar that her running club hosted. She successfully got me out of the door with the ever-enticing promise of free pizza.

This attendance-driving strategy harkens back to random lectures during college:
Lecture on Market Strategies for Widgets in Southern Missouri -- wow that sounds boring.
Lecture on Market Strategies for Widgets in Southern Missouri (Free Pizza and Refreshments Provided) -- AMAZING! Let me call all of my friends!

I agreed to go and we drove over to the event. Upon arrival, I immediately felt like an intruder.

Here were running folk for all to see: sweaty from after-work runs, wearing Saucony or Brooks clothing and undoubtedly talking about running.

And there I was, nervous-eating a heap of free pizza and downplaying the fact that I also "run." But I'm not going to brag about my 12-mile week while the old lady sitting next to me is doing an 8-mile taper run.

In a lot of ways, I think that running is a lonely sport but I can't help but compare myself to these marathoners. And, truly, there's no comparison at this point.