Ruminations of a Pier 1 Pirate

It isn't a good truck day at Pier 1 unless you come home smelling faintly of sewage...
Damn Lawrence sewer system...

Tonight at work I received the perfect opportunity to practice my new "Hey I remember you!" routine, and I didn't even have to pretend because my two of my favorite customers came into work. Interestingly enough, they both have purchased Buddhas from me and actually enjoyed discussing the characteristics of said Buddhas. One of them also happens to look rather like Sean Connery, but that's neither here nor there...

There's so much anonymity in our current culture. I'm guilty of enjoying it (putting on my dark shades and popping in my iPod ear-buds for the short walk to class lest I run into anyone I may know from high school) but maybe it's not all it's cracked up to be.

There's something to be said for walking into a store and having the sales associate know who you are and what you like. There's something to be said for finally feeling appreciated 6.5 hours into an 8 hour shift when a customer finally treats you like a real human being and asks you how classes are going.
Pier 1 might be a corporate store, but that doesn't mean I can't make it feel a little more personable.

In other news, Nate (my brother) and I might actually be the same person...at least when it comes to relationships. Go figure.

Who Has to Know?

Our scene: The crowded, bustling bookstore at the Kansas University Student Union.

Enter: Our heroine, Lindsey, dressed in her khakis, "Life is Buddhaful" tank top, underwear inside out (unintentionally of course) and aviator shades perched on her head.

She takes a deep breath as she steps into the chaos...


I'll be the first to admit it, I'm not used to a school as large as KU; William Woods and Drury both had less than 5000 students. So to be surrounded by something like 28,000 students is a little bit mind-blowing.

But as I sit here now reflecting back on the bookstore situation (carton of Orange and Vanilla Swirl Rice Dream in hand) I can't help but wonder if I'll actually enjoy the anonymity. I mean sure I'll get to know the students in the Religious Studies program and I'll find my academic community there, but maybe it will be nice to zone out as I enjoy my 30 minute walk to class and not have to worry about who I'm going to see or how I look (which will be sweaty because it's still abhorrently hot here) because chances are I will never get to know these people. I get to sink into the comfort of being unknown.

Who am I kidding? I can't do that.
I long for a way to be connected to those around me. I love the interconnectedness I feel in large groups of people. I'm just like my brother, it's in my nature to become overly-involved and to make people know who I am and to love every minute of it.

I will find a way to enjoy being a medium fish in a large pond. No...wrong metaphor. Ew.
I will find a way to connect.
Watch out KU. ;-)

And on a completely different note- I miss real ice cream.