Don't look at me

It's totally silly to get all worked up over this, but I have received most of my textbooks in the mail today. I used the internet to buy books for the very first time, and I saved a ton of money. I'm probably a dork for being so paranoid, but it's very nerve racking when you send your money out into space for the first time. It's not like I have never used the internet to shop before; I simply have never used independent sellers. It's a very different affair-you are buying used books that you have never seen before. What if the previous owner was a "Ben Folds Five" fan and you get the only book in existence with that sticker on it?

The internet is great for the shy-shopper. I hate going to campus bookstores. It's not so much the horror of someone asking you if they can help you find something (I always think that if I can't find a psychology book in the section with the big ol' sign that says psychology, then maybe I should rethink spending this much money on education), it's more the problem of dodging a zillion kids for the same crappy used book. I hate that, and I also hate the wait in line. You're standing there holding onto the manuals while your arms threaten to separate from your ever-loving body, and there's someone about 20 people a head of you who can't decide which credit card to put this purchase on. I don't have that kind of patience.

Speaking of being shy, if you live in New York, and have access to the internet, you may go days at a time without ever speaking to anyone. When I lived in Texas, if you made eye contact with someone too long just in passing, they would say "Hi", or "How're you?" In New York, it's like a contest to see how much you can avoid looking at other people. As a newcomer here, I share this apprehension with New Yorkers. When walking my dog, I don't want to get the attention of the crazy guy by looking at him. Crazy people think it's okay to initiate a conversation with you, because hey, you were looking at 'em. The large majority of people don't make eye contact with you either, because they don't know if you're the crazy one.

Maybe it makes me a little crazy, but I kind of like that kind of power. Once, I'm going to walk my dog, and I will pass someone, and instead of the usual dance of the eye diversion, I'm going to break out in a bold "Boogedy-Boogedy-Boo!" I'm sure I'll be fine once the pepper spray wears off.