Sunday, April 04, 2010

since I don't really know you

I am resisting the late-night-diet-coke-induced-insomia-driven urge to email someone I don't really know. I'm resisiting the urge by blogging for the whole world to see.

Should there be another hyphen in that sentence?

A few years ago, I remember telling friends that I would never want to be in a relationship with another poet. No doubt another diet-coke-fueled rant, but let's ignore that small detail. Why would I say this? And why am I thinking about it tonight?

Saturdays are lonely days for me. Every once in a while I make plans and follow through with them, but for the most part, I'm left to my own devices. Which is laundry, movies, school reading, non-school reading, and talking to myself. These are the days when it is easiest to think life would be easier if I had someone to talk to. And since none of you are here with me in Evanston, and I don't want to show any favoritism, that someone becomes a tall-ish intelligent man. From there, I spin other characteristics, to suit that day's fancy. The one thing that never changes is his intelligence.

So that email. I was going to send it to a similarly academically-driven young man to ask him--What the hell is wrong with academically-driven young men?

Not really. But you get the gist of it.

At BYU, there were far more of these menfolk to observe and, occasionally, to crush on. In Chicago, they seem to be in short supply, at least in the groups I find myself in. And because I'm academic, and he's academic, people inevitably point us in each other's directions. We have a nice talk, exchange stories, compare battle wounds. And then, inevitably, he wanders off in the general direction of a Very Cute Girl. I am many things, but a VCG is not one of them.

So here's what I'm wondering. Do they feel the same way I used to? Is there an unwritten rule that there should only be one academic in a relationship? Nevermind that one of my favorite couples is two of the smartest people I've ever heard of. (That's right--Marie and Pierre Curie.) Actually, I can think of multiple academic couples that fit this bill, which leads me to one conclusion:

Boys are stupid.

Note: These thoughts in no way invalidate this post. It's just Saturday talking. Also, I would totally date a poet. Essayist. Maybe a novelist. Maybe.

9 comments:

Amanda said...

Last night I ended up reading most of "Play It As It Lays." Joan Didion on a Saturday night--can't decide if it made me feel better or just numb.

Also, are you going to AWP this week? I certainly hope so!

Th. said...

.

The evidence backs you up. Universities are getting disparate for smart boys.

"In the way . . ." said...

Glad they're only getting disparate for smart boys and not desperate. (Sorry, Sarah's dad is a smart aleck.)

Miss Haley said...

I agree, boys are very very stupid. and novelists are crazy, so if you're scared by insane people, i'd stay away from them ;)

Lekili said...

Define academic.I don't know how you could have compelling, satisfying conversations with any guy who was not academically driven or at least very bright. In my humble opinion you could never be in a relationship with someone who couldn't keep your brain engaged...you would become bored way too quickly.

Lekili said...

Did I totally miss the point?

Amanda Mae said...

Seems a bunch of us are blogging about very similar topics. I hear ya, lady.

nathan said...

VCGs are stupid.

Saule Cogneur said...

Boys may be stupid, but we are also very simple minded and predictable. I don't know if that compensates for anything.

Girls are stupid too - just in different ways other girls may not notice.

 

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