*sigh*



There are times I wonder... was I like that? Then I like to think - no I wasn't... but I am sure I have aggravated people as much in my own life and younger times. What follows is a faithful reproduction of a conversation had by me (H) a friend of mine (E) and an athlete (A). It began as a flip and sarcastic remark by me and ended with head-shaking and wonder.

A: this broke again (points to a piece of equipment)
H: do i look like the kind of guy who cares (out of context this sounds harsh - but it was said with a half smile and is typical of the kind of banter in the TR)
A: its your job ... you have to care (serious)
H: actually i don't
A: you are responsible for our health and welfare you have to care
H: actually i don't ... as long as i am effective and diligent my emotional attachment is immaterial
A: you don't care about your job?
H: i do... but i don't *have* to care about your welfare to do it well
A: yes you do
(at this point E who has been standing around amused decides to chime in)
E: A... I'm not saying you aren't a smart guy - cause you are... but your logic is flawed
A: no it isn't
E: ok let me break it down for you... wait no... lets just do this (points to me) two degrees (points to A) no degrees... who do you think we are gonna believe
A: but he HAS to care about us
E: (shaking head) no he doesn't your logic is flawed... again (points to me... who at this point has moved on to another athlete having fixed A's problem) two degrees (points to A) FRESHMAN... you are wrong
(and this is the comment i missed but DAMN i wish i had heard it - it has been confirmed by several people)
A: but you don't understand... i go to POMONA

I am still shaking my head - the hubris - the idiocy - problem is that he is generally a nice kid, smart and everything. It is just representative of our inability as humans to see beyond our own experience and more specifically of the attitude prevalent among the claremont college students in general (to whom most things have come very easily to this point in their lives) that "no one has possibly worked harder than i do now and no one can know how hard my life is". If i hadn't been one, and DIDNT care about them and the institutions they currently and will in the future represent - it wouldn't bother me at all.

Posted: Thu - September 16, 2004 at 10:31 PM        

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