nopin

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Does this mean I'm a secret genius?

People like to tell anecdotes about bumbling genius scientists, such as how Einstein would forget to cash his pay checks, or whatever. The trouble with taking comfort in these anecdotes is that it just means that smart people sometimes do dumb things; it doesn't mean that when you do dumb things, it's masking a closet genius.

Here, I made a Venn diagram:


If you are in circle B, knowing that some people in circle A are also in circle B is trivial comfort, no?

Anyway, today I went to vote at the Wood Center, which is UAF's student union building. I've moved house too frequently to have any confidence that things will work out as expected when I go to my official polling place, so I go to the Wood Center, where they let you file absentee ballots for any district.

There were three lines, clearly labeled 1, 2, 3. You get into 1, do what they say, then go to 2, do what they say, etc. I somehow missed those signs, and got into the longest line, figuring that's where everyone was, so I belonged there, too.

As I stood there in line, my eyes wandered around, and because I am a compulsive reader, I read the poster board beside me, which read:

STEP 1: Stand in Line 1 and blah blah.

STEP 2: Stand in Line 2 and blah blah.


etc.

I read it several times, with what I am sure was a fantastically vacant look on my face. I probably also had a trickle of drool running down the side of my chin.

Finally a lady asked me whether I had completed step 1, and no? Then why was I standing in line 2?

I hrrmphed about how, well, they ought to label stuff and tell us what to do! Sheesh!

Whereupon an acquaintance saw me and literally marched me through the whole thing.

I'm sure he was so proud to know me!

2 comments:

bt said...

Yet another reason I love absentee voting!

mdr said...

You were either tired or focusing on some other things in your mind. Your elementary school teacher said you were absent-minded