Now that I'm done with Camp Communication (6 days written sparsely between 6 months) I've started this observation journal, which I will hopefully keep up with. (Doubtful, but there's always the hope)
2/16/11
I told Michelle the other day that I usually write about the things I see or do, sometimes even what I am feeling. I use many allusions, though, and not anything specific. This is a separation from my usual style to try something new- writing strictly that which I notice: no allusions, only what I am feeling and what I see.
Today I am going to write about this guy who sits next to me in Psych. I do not know his name, so generally I just refer to him as psych guy. He is a bit awkward- that guy, sitting next to me in my psych class- but he is not inappropriate. I would not exactly say he is socially awkward, either. Rather, he is more polite than most people are my age. He moves quickly to grab his pencil as it falls off the table. Slamming into the desk and making a loud noise, but he caught it. He wishes me good luck before we start a test as he passes my copy to me. When taking notes he does not doodle in the margins, but he makes boxes and patterns all over the page. Somehow, he manages not to write words around these, however, and writes all of his notes at the bottom half of the page. Once, he forgot we had a test, and started frantically reading his notes- he seems to do everything quickly and in a rush, but he is never in a bad mood- not like most of the drivers speeding past me as I go the speed limit. He frantically reads his notes before every test, to be honest. He insists on finishing reading his notes before he begins, but he does not want to hinder our teacher standing in front of him with the papers either. He reads quickly, his fingers flying across the page, as he reads line by line faster and faster. Suddenly he grabs out for the tests in our teacher’s hands thrusting all but one copy towards me, closes his notebook, and pulls out a pencil in one swift movement. “Good luck!” is one of the few phrases he has ever said to me. The other phrase I can remember is “Sorry!” That guy, the one sitting next to me in psychology, is interesting in his speech and actions. He never ceases to make me stare, somehow. He is not particularly cute or funny, and I am not sure I would stare at him anymore than I do if was either of those things, but he amazes me.
I think I know why, too, he is one of the few people that, upon meeting them, I did not feel the need to be shy around them. I have always been shy to new people and loud with my close friends, but for some reason he does not invoke that fear. Maybe it is his weird behavior that I find so awkward that reminds me of my friends. My friends are awkward, too, but in a completely different way.
I blink and an hour has gone by. I have spent most of the time filling in bubbles, but the rest of it just noticing things around me. He writes fast too, but it is neat handwriting. After the test, our teacher passes around a sheet of notebook paper for attendance. She always has us write down something about ourselves. Today- it is our favorite book that she wants to know. He likes a book I have never heard of before- it seems like it would be a nonfiction book. As class goes on, we learn about thinking; as a huge group, we have to solve a bunch of logic problems, like the problems we used to do to test our learning capabilities back in elementary. He is very good at them I noticed. I also notice that I am not. He reminds me a little of the character Professor Layton, from the curious village game. That could just be because I am a video game junkie, though… and I cannot picture psychology guy wearing a top hat. Although personality wise, I could expect it of him.
Later, just before math class, I see psych guy again. He is rushing out of the classroom I am trying to enter. I have seen him here before, so it is nothing new except for the fact that he almost plows into me as he rushes past. “Sorry!” he shouts back while running to wherever he is going towards. Most people would just ignore me as they run by- I am sort of an average person and become background information a lot of the time. He noticed me, which shocked my system.
I had three tests today, in all three of my classes. For some reason, my thoughts just go back to psych guy saying “Good luck!” I hope his luck aides me, because lord knows I need it in Latin and Psychology. Math, on the other hand, I can handle. I do not want to sound like the bragging junior PSEO kid who was talking to psych guy a few weeks ago, though, “Yeah, I’m like super good at math. I’m in college math even though I’m only a junior in high school!” That is a way to get yourself beat up in some schools. I do not think that I think psych guy would hurt junior PSEO kid, though, nor would he be strong enough to injure junior PSEO kid, either. Psych guy is smaller than I am in the muscles department, and a bit taller than I am too. He is lanky, but not in a nerdy way, more like an anti-steroids soccer player.
