May 26, 2005
Quit Looking at Me, I'm not Tailgating!Posted by Bryan
Commuting the other morning, I tailed the vehicle you see here, and felt compelled to finally use my cell phone technology for a truly important purpose: capturing an image of a phenomenon that's meaning completely escapes me.
What is the message one is conveying with this practice?
- I like stuffed animals
- I'm a quirky individual
- I collect sunbleached beanie babies
- Ask me about my Avon catalog!
Is this strange, or completely normal? Obviously, I see this as a bit of a red flag. Like, in most circumstances, I'd probably assume this person is normal, until walking by and seeing the lineup of cotton critters, and then my perception would change. Unless, of course, she had some awesome explanation of how she was transferring them over to the children's hospital to give away to sick kids, or that her grandkids were visiting and she thought it would be a fun surprise for them. In lieu of that, though, some (confessionally, judgmental) questions and assumptions might arise.
Note, too, that the car is a Beemer. For me, this only compounds the confusion. Driving past -- because I was on a mission -- I noted the middle-age appearance of the driver, no hint of other juvenile items in the surrounding area of the car, and the impolite lack of berth other drivers were willing to extend to me as I allowed this distraction to consume my attention.
Help me understand how and why this happens. I'm a learner. I want to learn.
Whenever you figure out what the purpose of those stuffed animals is let me know...I've pondered it also. The people I see with them in the back window usually have a box of kleenex back there too...that only adds to my confusion.
Posted by: Vanessa at May 26, 2005 2:20 PMWow, have I ever been in Japan too long. That doesn't seem weird to me at all anymore. I'm trying to remember back when it did . . . ah, yes.
Some folks have no sense of boundaries on their impulse to "cuteness."
Here in Japan, it's galling, sometimes. The P.E. teacher at the HS I teach at, a guy who kicks butt in kendo, has lace doilies on every imaginable surface in his car, cute flowered floormats, and a little box you can put your shoes in so you don't muss his car.
Oh, and he has a wife and three very masculine sons. He's just Japanese, ergo: no limits on cute.
Cheers!
PGE