INTERESTED PEOPLE ARE INTERESTING My good friend, The Legendary Budd Davisson (he hates it when I call him that, but it’s just the truth) publishes a comment every Saturday on his Substack. This Saturday, the title was “Interested People Are Interesting,” a quote he attributed to his mother from his earliest years, and long before the statement became popular from Gene Youngblood, whom Wiki says was a “…theorist of media arts and politics” and is credited with that truism.
I wish I was one of those people. Rather than being a hands on guy, I’m primarily a hands off one. i read about this, then read about that, but that’s about it. The one exception was triathlon. After the 15 years of dabbling with mostly shorter versions, I was inspired by a friend to try an Ironman in my late 50’s. Although by no means a gifted athlete, with persistence and dedication, I qualified for the World Championships in Kona 2 years in a row in my early 60’s. I miss that level of involvement.
That was the most manly man blog I've read in ages. 😍 Here's something that may be interesting; way back in the 70,'s I had a 72 Dodge Dart. Coming home in the wee, small hours I got a flat about 5 blocks from my mother's apartment. I walked to Betty's and called my bested bud from college, Joe (rip) and had him drive from South Philly to Delco to change my tire. Upon completion of that task, Joey said to me " See J Clay that's how you change a tire."
Without missing a beat I replied, " Oh I know how to do it but didn't want too."
I don't remember much after he hit me with the crow bar
So, all you interesting people beware your boring friends. Hee...
As Bugs Bunny said to Gossemar while giving him a makeover said, " Monsters live such interesting lives, hmmm."
Happy Monday to you and all the interesting people in this little knothole gang😹
Oh, I laughed about the Honda manual. Because my husband spent decades repairing every car we owned, including the morning of our wedding day when the clutch on our car didn't want to behave. Thanks for reminding me.
People who were able to make and fix mechanical things have always interested me. I wanted so much to be one of them.
Once, when hanging out on the exquisite Feather River and living in a tepee with with my daughter, the gold miners (dredgers rather, in northern CA, we dubbed them The Bus People because they lived in a grand old school bus) were our nearest neighbors. One day they hiked to a location where someone had dumped an old water heater down a cliff. They’d been eyeing it for some time but it was hard to access as the cliff was almost sheer. Finally they nabbed it and hauled it back to camp and created a motorized gold dredger out of the parts.
They welcomed me to watch the process. Last thing was to paint it a fine, strong yellow, and on the great day they moved this imposing piece of art to the River to their new dredging spot and took it for a test drive. We few friends gathered to witness the event. It worked handily and was a great success. It was a glorious day I won’t forget. That dredge gave good service for years.
The Bus People’s car of choice was a circa 1960 Peugeot wagon that they kept in top running condition. It was a thrill to be part of all that. The background music I recall most during this wonderful part of my daughter’s and my life was Bob Dylan’s Desire album. Also Neil Young’s Heart of Gold.
Back when I was in grade school, I fixed something mechanical in my school room. As an only child of a father who was always tinkering, building stuff, and repairing, he taught me all sorts of good stuff and I put it to good use - still do, where electronics don’t leave me cursing. Anyway, after my successful repair, several boys in the class loudly proclaimed me really, really weird, as “girls don’t do that stuff”. I told them that was the best compliment ever, and proclaimed myself the Queen of Weird, which I wear proudly to this day. Life would be soooo boring otherwise.
Dads like that are special. I was the oldest in a set of girls and that didn't phase my dad one bit. He raised me as a "son" and literally every year for Christmas, I got some sort of tool for my gift. I still have some of them. They are collector's items now, but most of them still work. I also still have his old claw hammer; it's a keepsake.
Dyslexia and spatial dysfunction keep me from being any good at things which require sequential precision. I had to have a friend send me a video of her putting a hose on a hose bib (I’m talking a freaking garden hose) after spending half an hour of trial and error without attaching it. (I have since, mostly, converted that to muscle memory; now I have two propane devices that are opposite because of no regulators; a deck heater and a weed torch, if you’re curious.)
My knack is in interpersonal conversation with strangers and finding connections with them. (Paid off on my vacation when I asked a coffee farm here in Kona to grind a bag of Peaberry beans since my vacation rental does not have a grinder, then forgot it. I went back the next day just before they closed, and was greeted with “Oh, you’re the nice lady who forgot her coffee”-- per the note he’d left on the bag of ground coffee.)
That sounds like an invitation. The comments are all about mechanical prowess, but how about saving the world? I didn't see anybody taking that tack, where I have a unique advocacy for what we-the-people can do to bring about the system change we need Ta dah! Here I am with "Evolution Revolution": https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/about
Well, I do "mechanical prowess" and try to "save the world" also. I think both are admirable activities, and everyone here is involved in the second one, proving they are both interested and interesting.
Well, hey now, Tom, because of my working life careers I've been on many people's lists, if you know what I mean, but unlike those, being on your substack list makes me happy. Wax on, sir.
I wish I was one of those people. Rather than being a hands on guy, I’m primarily a hands off one. i read about this, then read about that, but that’s about it. The one exception was triathlon. After the 15 years of dabbling with mostly shorter versions, I was inspired by a friend to try an Ironman in my late 50’s. Although by no means a gifted athlete, with persistence and dedication, I qualified for the World Championships in Kona 2 years in a row in my early 60’s. I miss that level of involvement.
That's a hellua achievement!
Wow, James, I would call you interesting ! 🏊🚴♂️🏃🏻
You probably know this but for others who aren’t aware, Special Council Jack Smith is also very interesting !
https://www.triathlete.com/culture/news/special-counsel-jack-smith-triathlon/
Thanks. I didn’t know that about Jack. I did know we both had bike accidents.
That was the most manly man blog I've read in ages. 😍 Here's something that may be interesting; way back in the 70,'s I had a 72 Dodge Dart. Coming home in the wee, small hours I got a flat about 5 blocks from my mother's apartment. I walked to Betty's and called my bested bud from college, Joe (rip) and had him drive from South Philly to Delco to change my tire. Upon completion of that task, Joey said to me " See J Clay that's how you change a tire."
Without missing a beat I replied, " Oh I know how to do it but didn't want too."
I don't remember much after he hit me with the crow bar
So, all you interesting people beware your boring friends. Hee...
As Bugs Bunny said to Gossemar while giving him a makeover said, " Monsters live such interesting lives, hmmm."
Happy Monday to you and all the interesting people in this little knothole gang😹
Yes Tom, you write well. VERY well. Mmmm, and mmm, Interesting, mmm yes, very interesting, to boot. Meaning you.
Oh, I laughed about the Honda manual. Because my husband spent decades repairing every car we owned, including the morning of our wedding day when the clutch on our car didn't want to behave. Thanks for reminding me.
People who were able to make and fix mechanical things have always interested me. I wanted so much to be one of them.
Once, when hanging out on the exquisite Feather River and living in a tepee with with my daughter, the gold miners (dredgers rather, in northern CA, we dubbed them The Bus People because they lived in a grand old school bus) were our nearest neighbors. One day they hiked to a location where someone had dumped an old water heater down a cliff. They’d been eyeing it for some time but it was hard to access as the cliff was almost sheer. Finally they nabbed it and hauled it back to camp and created a motorized gold dredger out of the parts.
They welcomed me to watch the process. Last thing was to paint it a fine, strong yellow, and on the great day they moved this imposing piece of art to the River to their new dredging spot and took it for a test drive. We few friends gathered to witness the event. It worked handily and was a great success. It was a glorious day I won’t forget. That dredge gave good service for years.
The Bus People’s car of choice was a circa 1960 Peugeot wagon that they kept in top running condition. It was a thrill to be part of all that. The background music I recall most during this wonderful part of my daughter’s and my life was Bob Dylan’s Desire album. Also Neil Young’s Heart of Gold.
Back when I was in grade school, I fixed something mechanical in my school room. As an only child of a father who was always tinkering, building stuff, and repairing, he taught me all sorts of good stuff and I put it to good use - still do, where electronics don’t leave me cursing. Anyway, after my successful repair, several boys in the class loudly proclaimed me really, really weird, as “girls don’t do that stuff”. I told them that was the best compliment ever, and proclaimed myself the Queen of Weird, which I wear proudly to this day. Life would be soooo boring otherwise.
Very true, Your Majesty. :-)
I will knight you anon!
Dads like that are special. I was the oldest in a set of girls and that didn't phase my dad one bit. He raised me as a "son" and literally every year for Christmas, I got some sort of tool for my gift. I still have some of them. They are collector's items now, but most of them still work. I also still have his old claw hammer; it's a keepsake.
Dyslexia and spatial dysfunction keep me from being any good at things which require sequential precision. I had to have a friend send me a video of her putting a hose on a hose bib (I’m talking a freaking garden hose) after spending half an hour of trial and error without attaching it. (I have since, mostly, converted that to muscle memory; now I have two propane devices that are opposite because of no regulators; a deck heater and a weed torch, if you’re curious.)
My knack is in interpersonal conversation with strangers and finding connections with them. (Paid off on my vacation when I asked a coffee farm here in Kona to grind a bag of Peaberry beans since my vacation rental does not have a grinder, then forgot it. I went back the next day just before they closed, and was greeted with “Oh, you’re the nice lady who forgot her coffee”-- per the note he’d left on the bag of ground coffee.)
You take being alive seriously and you keep watch in all directions, Bullwinkle. 🌞 (Rocket Rocky, the flying Squirrel, not Bullwinkle.)
TC you’re definitely an interesting person!
That sounds like an invitation. The comments are all about mechanical prowess, but how about saving the world? I didn't see anybody taking that tack, where I have a unique advocacy for what we-the-people can do to bring about the system change we need Ta dah! Here I am with "Evolution Revolution": https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/about
Well, I do "mechanical prowess" and try to "save the world" also. I think both are admirable activities, and everyone here is involved in the second one, proving they are both interested and interesting.
Well that's pretty exciting. Am looking forward to hearing from the others.
TAFM is full of very interesting people.
Very many.
You are a good man, Tom. 🙇🏽♀️
Well, hey now, Tom, because of my working life careers I've been on many people's lists, if you know what I mean, but unlike those, being on your substack list makes me happy. Wax on, sir.
TC, you rock ! Thank you.💙
Very interesting!
Thank You.