How Not To Make Friends

On my way to work this morning, I thought "You know what's a good way to meet people? Show shirts. Like if I was to wear my Blur shirt, someone might say "Hey - you like Blur! Me too! Let's be best friends!"

On my way to lunch this afternoon, I was in the elevator with this shaved-head hobbit wearing a Radiohead shirt!

I said "Have you seen them before?" and looked towards his shirt.

He said, timidly, "Yeah."

Pause.

"Where?"

"Liberty Park." (Maybe not Liberty Park. I didn't know where he was talking about, so I just nodded.)

Silence.

Normal people would be like "Yeah, man, the show was awesome" or "Yeah, man, the show totally blew" or "Have you ever seen them?" or "They're my favoritest favorite band."

Awkward.

My building is tall, so I felt like we were in the elevator for a whole minute in awkward silence. I was so upset. How could I have scared this boy with six words? It's not like I said "Hey, I'm new! Be my friend!"

Then he murmers "Have you seen them?"

And I'm scrambling to speak, because this is the first time anyone's spoken to me in weeks outside of the lab or my apartment, and I'm like "Yes..."

And he said "Where?"

And I said "The Tweeter Center in MA...."

And then we were in the lobby and he was going in the opposite direction and I didn't get to tell him my The-Radiohead-Show-Changed-My-Life story.

So. This was a good first attempt, but it didn't really work.

I was talking on the phone last night to a friend, and I was sort of downloading about how I'm feeling a little disappointed with the whole NYC thing. He said "Everyone who knows you loves you. I don't see what the problem is." I think the problem is that everyone who doesn't know me is apparently scared to death of me.

Today I am annoyed that the new Green Day song sounds like an Avril song.

I am also feeling cheesy and am listening to Interpol's "NYC" nonstop. Which reminds me that I have to get Interpol tickets. I shall do that now!