Saturday when the Chittick Tickle attacks with Full Force

The Chittick Tickle is when everyone at a party gets sick because they were all making out. Named for a dorm on campus, and for the sensation in one's throat after hanging out in the 'playpen' for any amount of time.
I think that I have hit a crucial moment in my social life at Reed. Before now, I had been absorbing into groups and then leaving them, because they weren't right. At this point, I have found people who I think will help me be who I want to be, make my life beautiful, have great adventures, and CHANGE THE WORLD orwhatever.  And that means suddenly I actually have to do emotional work again, and invest energy and spirit. Especially with the Chittick Tickle, it's kinda throwing me for a loop.
Just writing this because no one seems to really process what I mean when I talk about it here. They understand that it's more work or something, but I don't think anyone knows me well enough to understand how I approach this sort of business.
Regardless of added deepthinking, it's getting to be really rewarding. It's just weird trying to adjust my MO to create this long term dynamic. Anna, we talked about this before I think. My original approach is not a long term strategy. But that will change. It's not even just for now. At this point I'm getting to know everyone a little better (gotta love a tiny tiny school) and passing interaction pile up. Suddenly we know who the other person is before a real rapport forms, and that requires a different approach. I'm so used to talking to strangers, and that doesn't happen as much.


Well, that's enough introspection for one blog post. I will tell a story, one you may have already heard in some abridged format, but I want to really capture what it is before Sunday, when the missed connections come out and the nature of it is changed forever. Some things are just so much more exciting in the hypothetical.

Jason Webley, October 29th 2011 :
Sasha and I stand in line, waiting to buy tickets and a man brushes past us, excusing himself. I barely see his face.
Later, at the front of the crowd, he brushes by again (yes, his movements are very brushy, not just in the physical sweeping-contact kind of way. But mostly in that way.) He points out that this is the second time this has occurred. Sasha reminds me of the first time, as I have forgotten. For the rest of the show his group is next to ours.
Sasha and I make small talk during pauses in the show. Of course, Reed comes up, here we are, we love it, it's a huge part of life. Once and a while we get sideways glances from him. We're beautiful, these things happen.
However, my superficial analysis of these actions was misplaced!
Lucas Illings' lecture on Chaos and Network Synchronization, November 2nd 2011 :
I sit next to Hugh, because he's the only face I really recognize, as I am 10  minutes early and the other freshman don't show up until right before the presentation. We chat.
In walks (or brushes, this time not literally) a gypsy-esque man. I stare at him with a puzzled look on my face, half convinced that I am hallucinating, hoping to make eye contact and be reassured that I actually have never seen him in my life.
Instead, he looks at me and winks.
After the talk, I leave with the intention of talking to him, as two chance encounters are enough to make me curious. But he is absorbed in conversation with someone else, and it seems inappropriate to interrupt, both because I am shy and there is a mention of "my other thesis." That's just a strange and scary statement.
Hall Outside My Room, 1:30 am November 3rd 2011 :
I tell my friends about these strange encounters, and am inspired to send in a missed connection.


You: Looked like you were having fun at Jason Webley. A skilled winker is a valuable asset.
Me: Didn't want to interrupt your conversation after the physics talk, but... adventure sometime?

Then the physics majors present at our hall-party wanted to try to identify the mystery man. So I described the gypsy vibe I got from his apparel, dark hair, etc. Then I mentioned the fact that I thought he was talking about two theses when I decided not to talk to him. They placed him as a certain super-senior double major in physics and psychology, which is disturbing because I had just recently decided to not even think about double majoring in physics and sociology. The fact that people do similar things is kind of making it seem like weakness to not try. Anyways, they were all very amused that I had sent such a missed connection, as I am too. But it's kind of fun to take advantage of such circumstantial whimsy. So we'll see what happens.