Summer in the city

|I have to tell you a story. Though it happened a few days ago, and it’s a short story. I went to Chattanooga State to help out with orientation. I wore flip-flops, khaki shorts, a t-shirt and a hoodie. It was rather hot outside, yes. I usually plan ahead and on this evening, I knew I would be inside for the most part, and I get cold very easily. Thus, the dawning of the hoodie. I go walk into the Humanities building and the first complete sentence I hear is, “It’s like a hundred degrees outside, why are you wearing a hoodie?” I reply, “It’s not a hundred degrees inside.” I still get an odd look. The next person, “Gosh, it’s like a hundred degrees outside, how can you be wearing a hoodie?” Yes, they both reference the triple digit sum of one-hundred. To this person, I say, “I’m not outside right now. I planned ahead. It’s cool in here and I am very comfortable.” They’re not convinced. I decide to go to my car, take off my hoodie and put on a collared shirt. On the way there, not kidding, a girl comments to her guy friend, “Why would you wear a hoodie.. it’s so hot.”

|This utterly baffles me. It’s clear that many people will easily ridicule what they do not understand. Furthermore, they will not even think it through or consider my personal preference. I had not been in the building more than a few seconds before the first anti-hoodie remark flew at me. It’s cold in my apartment and I am always cold at Chatt. State. Foresight was practiced and executed. It’s interesting too because many people will apply their own preference to the person they are observing. Instead of thinking, “Man, I would be burning up if I were wearing that,” they’ll say, “Man, he must be burning up.” And that concludes my sociological review for the day. I probably shouldn’t wear a dress any time soon, even to make a point. Given the state of affairs in our judgmental times. Let me think:

What the?
Queer.
That’s sick!
Get away from me.
Sir, put your hands up.

No, you see, I’m just trying to make a point.
You don’t care if I’m normal. You just see a guy in a dress.

Point taken, now get on the ground!

|And then I’ll publish my own police blotter in the Communicator.

Que sera, sera

|I went to Suntrust in Hixson today to cash a check, though I am a Bank of America-Man myself, and the view of Signal Mountain from there was especially great this morning. It wasn’t great because the sun was rising or that it was uncharacteristically clear outside. It was great because the clouds rising behind the mountain looked like smoke. This wasn’t the case, obviously, because the formation of clouds stretched for much of what I could see in front of me but the sight was nevertheless an interesting one. It looked like it could fit the bill for any post-air disaster scene. Straight out of LOST or Castaway. A plane from Atlanta destined to New York losing altitude and breaking apart behind the brow of the mountain. Debris scattered for hundreds of yards over the wooded mountainside. I stood there for a minute imagining the scene. I wonder if anyone else saw it too.

“Wow, look at those clouds… they vaguely resemble a plane cra…”
“Dad!”
“Hey, son. Now, what was I thinking? Oh yeah, cool cloud.”

|After this brush with the imaginary I finished reading Puerto Vallarta Squeeze by Robert James Waller. It makes me feel a little better about spending time in Mexico, running from the federales with thousands of dollars in tow and trying to come to terms with a checkered past. I wish I had started reading earlier in the summer but I think I have time to read three more books before school starts. I need to choose wisely so I’m not bitter about it later.

|Thursday, Shannon, the other Spotted photographer, and I will be meeting with the Times Free Press photo editor, Billy Weeks. We are to bring a selection of our photos, Times and freelance alike, for Weeks to give us feedback on. It’ll be a good experience for me. I’ve only met one other photographer at the Times who works outside of Spotted. That being Brandon Smith. I’ll post the details later in the week. I’ve focused on writing for so long it will be good to hear from Weeks that I have some talent when it comes to photo journalism as well. Or not… but I’m confident.

The Organa Connection

|I think I’ve taken a long enough hiatus from blogging. An unintentional one at that. But what other kind of hiatuses are there? (It is hiatuses, not hiati by the way… I checked) I guess there are intentional ones. Like hiatuses bands take before they decide they’re breaking up for good. Or not. Fortunately, I have made one improvement for the blog. I think I’m going to have a standardized header image for each post. This will save me the time of editing photos and having to find one that fits the character of the post. I suspect I’ll still find time every once in a while.

|I watched When Harry Met Sally this evening with a group of friends. I had seen it a few times before but this time I connected with Carrie Fisher. Not that I think my life parallels her character or that it had anything to do with her character at all. The book I’m reading right now is called Surrender the Pink and it’s written by Fisher. Reading her book gives me greater appreciation for her. She has transcended the role of Princess Leia in my eyes and now when I see her on film, I have a familiarity with her and I can hear her in the words of her book. It’s a cool feeling. Something I can’t share with all of the authors I read. And I don’t suspect Noam Chomsky or J.K. Rowling will be playing supporting roles at the box office any time soon.

|In other news, I can’t use ‘gestalt’ in a sentence. I tried. That will be my goal in the coming week. As well, our first Communicator meeting is next Monday. That should be exciting. I’ll need to keep everything together to have another successful year. But we’re going to have many new writers on staff. I’ll have more help than I think… I think. That’s deep.

School’s out|I am not Matt Davis

|I am officially done with classes and finals for this spring semester and I can feel the overwhelming relief taking its toll. Although grades haven’t been posted yet, I know what most of them are and I am definitely excited. I have excelled this semester both in my work and in my academics. Since the last time I posted an entry I started working for the Chattanooga Times Free Press as an event photographer. It has been a very fulfilling job. I have enjoyed getting to meet new people and experience a lot of new things. I really couldn’t be more happy about my position. The photos I take at events are posted to spotted.timesfreepress.com. If you’re ever at a community event, I would encourage you to add your photos as well.

|Today marks the final day of layout for the May issue of the Communicator. Our issues continue to get better, both editorially and aesthetically. I am pleased with the continuity of the design and the strong stories from issue to issue. This summer I’ll finally have an extended period of time to fine-tune the paper so the fall semester goes by with as little problems as possible. I’m confident for sure. On a side note: I’m having to put a ridiculous editor’s note in the May issue because I’m writing the story about the Chattanooga State students inducted into the Krystal Lover’s Hall of Fame; And within said story is a student named Matt Davis. I’ll have to specify that I am not the Matt Davis referred to in the story. Foresight could have been exercised in this case.

Krystal Lover’s Hall of Fame

|I got back to my apartment from Krystal a little while ago where I covered a Krystal Lover’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It was actually quite the production. Krystal provided complimentary meals for everyone in attendance and unveiled the special boxes for the inductees and plaques that will be displayed at the Krystal location of the inductees’ choice. The reason I was attending the ceremony to begin with was that 3 of the inductees are Chattanooga State Students. Patrick Mahan, Tyler Mullins and (oddly enough) Matt Davis. I had been in contact with a Krystal PR representative and it took an email or two to confirm that I was not the same Matt Davis being inducted. Small world. The trio (and a 4th inductee, Craig Shelton) are part of Nightvision Entertainment and their video submission was the first video submission to be accepted to the Krystal Lover’s Hall of Fame.

|At the ceremony I was greeted by Kenny Hammontree, Senior Marketing Coordinator at Krystal who offered me any information I needed and anything on the menu to boot. I didn’t order anything, looking back I slightly regret that decision but on the plus side I was able to interview Hammontree and talk about a number of things. I talked to him about the success of the Krystal Lover’s Hall of Fame marketing campaign (they’ve received submissions from as far as England), how many submissions they receive (5000 this year, out of that, 20 were selected), the loyalty of Krystal customers and the success of Kobayashi and the Krystal eating contests. Hammontree told me that many individuals who grow up in the South, grow up eating Krystal and they move away and then make a pilgrimage of sorts back to Krystal. I was able to share with him my own similar Krystal story; when my family and I lived in Maryland and visited Tennessee, we would take home up to 80 Krystal burgers.