Saturday, September 01, 2007

I warned you: I'm a boring guy

Many years ago, when I was still single, I used to warn people, particularly women, that I was not a very interesting guy. Maybe it wasn't true, strictly speaking, but it was mostly true: most of the time, special events (films, ice skating, concerts, theatre) seemed to me too much trouble. I'll do them if they delight my family, and usually once I'm there I'm glad I went, but when I'm alone it's just not my thing to do that sort of thing. I might go to a film to escape boredom, but usually I'd rather find an interesting book to read -- or something to write. Maybe something at home, but reading and writing are more my favorite activities these days.

So here I am in Stony Brook. The elder teen is now safely installed in her dormitory. My flight isn't until something like 6pm tomorrow. (I was originally planning to attend church with the elder teen this morning, but we have since found out that her orientation is tomorrow rather than today -- there are activities she must attend Sunday from about 10am to about 5pm.) A little while ago, the younger teen called me on the cell phone, commanding me to do something fun in New York City. I told her I'd consider it (when translated into Japanese, this is "kangaete okimasu", which Japanese people would understand to actually mean "No").

Because I've already bought a ticket from Stony Brook to Jamaica, i.e., the station that gets me to the "airtrain" for JFK. I'd have to do some kind of fare adjustment at the other end, drag my baggage around, worry about getting back to the airport, etc. etc. etc. My wife and younger daughter (probably the elder one would say the same thing too) want me to do something fun, but changing the plans and complicating the logistics -- that's sufficiently unpleasant to me (yes I admit that I may be a highly sensitive person) that I probably won't do it.

So in spite of what I wrote earlier about this, I'll probably be spending some hours at JFK, reading or writing something.

Sorry for being so boring, but I warned you -- well maybe not you specifically, but at least some readers of this blog....

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No, I would have entirely respected your desire not to do anything in NYC.