i know this kid. he is easily the smartest person i’ve ever befriended. i don’t mean that as an affront to all my other friends (all four of you), but this guy is crazy-smart. he scored a 1600 sat on his first attempt without any classes/tutoring/studying. he chose to attend brown university and study computer science (which always impressed me, because i failed computer science on 3 separate occasions in high school, then earned a B- in one college class despite having obtained a disk from my r.a. with all the assignments).
i remember i met my friend during tenth grade. i was always the one kid in my group of friends who had a different lunch period, so when i learned i was switching second semester, i was filled with joy. everyone warned me there was “this kid” who sat at the table and no one really knew him, but he would laugh at all their jokes. so the first day i’m in lunch, the kid shows up, and sits down without a word. we’re all eating and talking, and finally someone makes a joke. everyone laughs. i look over and see him laughing, and without missing a beat i ask, “what the fuck do you think you’re laughing at?” everyone at the table fell silent. it was a moment that epitomizes the type of person i am: seething with spontaneous energy, confrontational, but with only the best intentions. i didn’t want to hurt his feelings, just (in my own special way) figure out how to get him involved.
in august of last year, when i was the only dope left in town, sitting at home getting stoned and watching tv, he would call or IM me and ask if i wanted to go to the diner. so i obliged. i remember being fascinated by a comment he made, that — despite his impending graduation — all he really wanted to do with his life was stand-up comedy. we compared the similarities between music and comedy. i’m still not sure why, but i was blown away and unable to comprehend why someone so smart would consciously submit himself to the arduous task of trying to make a career out of stand-up comedy. i mean, it’s one thing for me to say i want to write and i want to make music, because i’ve never been studious and i don’t consider myself to be all that intelligent. i’m already a lost cause. no tragic loss to the real world. but when a smart person says it i’m shocked. with all the opportunities he has, an ivy league education and open doors awaiting him after graduation, he’s one of us. The dreamers that long to stir culture-shifts and contribute to society outside of a “career” behind a desk.
this blog entry has been brought to you by: The Comma (“,”). overused and under-appreciated.
