Strange

There are not enough places to park on campus. They must have realized this at some point because they recently decided to build a parking ramp. However, whereas they could have made it twice as tall, they opted for a measly two story ramp. Since I am not as rich as I tell women I am, I refuse to pay to park twice every weekday, therefore, I take the bus.

Usually class lets out about ten minutes before my bus arrives at the Miller Center to take me home (as if it commutes to and fro exclusively for my sake), so instead of standing around outside for ten minutes, I sit around inside for ten minutes. In a comfy chair that rests before a great window, I await my ride, and in the meantime I look at all the people walking into the Miller Center and I make various judgments about them.

Today, while I was judging people, there was a guy helping a girl with her homework just a few comfy chairs away from me. His intellectual aptitude far outweighed his social aptitude, but he was a courageous bugger. He asked the girl if she wanted to go to some kind of campus function – the name eludes me. She said, “Ummm…” while she thought of a polite way to decline. I think she settled on something like, “Na”.

He did not seem discouraged. They continued to study for another five minutes before he asked her a little more bluntly if she would like to go out with him for coffee or dinner sometime. She must have been a little embarrassed about it because her voice grew quieter and I could not entirely make out her response. It sounded like she may have possibly said something to the effect of, “I’m not really looking for that kind of thing right now” which is the typical way one is rejected by someone who is trying to make it easier on his or her unsecret admirer.

I’m not sure how he received this. I am loath to be a rubbernecker. I get angry at people who stare or gawk and I am disinclined to do it myself (unless they are unaware of me), no matter how interesting the situation, so I did not look over at them. I did not want them to notice that I noticed them. The guy was gathering his things to leave for another class when he asked her out the second time, so he left with a “take care” after being rejected and that was the end of it. It’s nothing to call the newspapers about but I found it amusing, probably because it reminded me that there are people out there who get shot down probably even more regularly than myself, which is an occurrence that absolutely baffles me. As perfect a man as I am, complete with general superiority and humility, I am stricken with befuddlement that ANY woman could possibly find the nerve to turn me down. But then, life has always been so strange.