In Medias Res #2- George Michael, Gay Outdoor Superhero for the 1980s

For some reason I remember liking this song a lot more back in the day. The first 40 seconds of this video are Swedish-tastic.



Ok there’s two completely unrelated things that I want to discuss. So this post is going to take a wild turn midway through, much like David Lynch’s Mullholland Drive. Except it doesn’t have the strong anchoring performance of Ms. Naomi Watts.

When do adults start asking for what they want? I have, at least it seems like I have, had smarter people than me enumerate the need to be clear and concise in communicating our needs. This wasn’t just something I learned in grad school (although apparently it’s something good employees and managers do). I learned it as much from Philip Roth and the Zuckerman books. I tend to err more on the side of being blunt. I tell people what I think in the most political way possible, but nonetheless I’m clear about my intentions. This is true at work as it is in my personal life. As such I find myself getting easily frustrated.

Case in point: I have a friend (yes, I have a friend already, screw you. You don’t know me!) who is nursing a crush. This crush is either non-communicative or disinterested. As is have noted above I lean towards the latter. That is, when you flirt and someone doesn’t flirt back there is a reason behind it. Granted, the reason may be that they are a high functioning autistic, but that’s generally the reason that proves the rule. Now, if said friend would simply and clearly communicate to this individual that he is interested, at the very least the matter would clarify itself. When I suggested this, friend challenged my cognitive development. That’s right, dear reader. He called me a dualist.

Now I am comfortable with ambiguity. I wrestle with my spirituality and the ineffable unknowable universe. I try to make sense and meaning out of life’s grays. But, Jesus Christ kids! Telling your crush you have a crush does not make you a dualist. It makes you a grown up. I mention this, because a few different people I work with are exhibiting this behavior. Someone’s birthday got missed and now they are giving everyone the cold shoulder. Another office didn’t get included in an email and now apparently there is a war of words going on. Sometimes, in my tiny little fiefdom, I want to stand on a chair and shout “C’mon people!” Most of the time though, since I’m upfront, I’m not involved in this stuff, so I keep my mouth shut and turn my music up. It is a sort of passive aggressive jam-a-thon.

For long time and returning readers (here’s that curveball I was talking about) you may recall that last week’s post was about waiting for the shoe to drop. Well, in less than a week it has. My students are back. We are planning. I have programs, workshops, trainings, exec board and general body meetings to attend. It is awesome. My students still have an unbridled amount of enthusiasm and I am personally excited to have some taxing tasks to attack over the next few weeks.

Case in point: As I was typing this a student came by to say hello and ask about a button machine. Somehow we got off on a tangent about: mid 80s pop bands and the influence of George Michael, Out/Queer Identified comic book Superheroes, and why things are better generally outside. How many people can say they get to do that for a living?