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August 28, 2007 |
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Model Citizen
FOUND by Jordan Eldredge
in San Francisco California
I found this on a telephone pole along the 38 line in San Francisco.
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Crazie Phychos September 19, 2007 |
Altar Boy July 22, 2007 |
Something Naughty April 01, 2006 |
Should Have Been May 18, 2007 |
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We collect FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework,
to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles -
anything that gives a glimpse into someone
else's life. Anything goes...
This sounds like the plot of the Lance Bass romantic-comedy "On the Line," in which our hero Lance meets the anonymous girl of his dreams on a Chicago El train, except the principles of this "Found" romance seem a bit smarter.
what makes a model citizen these days?
giving up your seat? picking up litter?
..im glad i dont take the bus
Awww… why can't I meet someone like that? I'd go on the bus everyday just to see them again.
Has anybody thought that the taking of this simple note from the telephone pole may have changed the destiny of these two individuals? This must be put back where it was FOUND so these two can FIND each other. They may be soul mates... I'd happily give up a great find for true love... Please put it back!!!
I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS FIND MUST BE PUT BACK IMMEDIATELY. Oh well, I'm over it. Now I find myself wondering how many sick, twisted, crank emails she received from posting her email address so freely in a major city. Probably should have re-thought that strategy. Still, I hope they FOUND each other...
Dumb me. This could have been from a guy or girl. (In fact, more likely a man, as it was written on a 'puter - seems like a chick would have hand written it.) Dont know why I automatically assumed it was a chick who posted it. Maybe because it's something I would do... Anyway, carry on...
reading cowgirls and coding C++ (simultaneously, on the bus?)...I wonder which of both is the most attractive? I might have to read Cowgirls...would Java work as well?
I don't think this needs to be put back. There's a little note in the bottom right hand corner that says "That was me!" so obviously the other person has seen the note...it they wanted to email the author, I dare say they would have. Here's hoping this turns up a "Hey that's me!" response.
what is cowgirls and coding c++?
this is a good rendition. apparently the person made quite an impact on the writer.
I feel like I'm reading craigslist
I don't know why no one else has said it yet but....
Creepy!
I'm wondering about the little "that was me!" note... why didn't she just e-mail him? Maybe she never did.
What does "you code C++" mean? Is it like a grade? A+, B+, C++? in that case, 'she' should be offended. I dont mean to be all judgenmental or anything.
What a strange note . And how oblivious this person is to post her email for the public to see ! What is coding C+++ ?! I don't like it !
c++ is a programming language
ah... thanks, vince.
Here's what's going to happen: Chick saw this sign but is not going to email dude, cuz it's kinda too creepy for her. She doesn't know what she'd write, and she's not really sure that she wants more with dude. Dude on the other hand is relatively newly broke up and doesn't WANT to rebound, but even less wants to be alone, so he's getting desperate. Chick can see his desperation, and like, WOULD like him, if it weren't for the desperation.
But, in six months, they are going to chance encounter again, she'll recognize him, he'll be post rebound and chill, indeed floating in that perfect happy to be single but still looking, let them come to me state and she'll be off the computer programming. Dude doesn't recognize her, cuz she was one of many women he pined after during that desperate lonely time, but on this second encounter, he falls for her again, fresh.
At about 3 am midway through their first night together she tells him about when they first met and he says: Oh shit! I went out of my way to ride that same bus for three weeks hoping to see you again. She says: well, it's a good thing you didn't, cuz i would've blown you off if you had, i was hooked on the C++ bad back then and didn't have time for anyone.
according to the programming dictionary:
C++ is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language that is viewed by many as the best language for creating large-scale applications. C++ is a superset of the C language. A related programming language, Java, is based on C++ but optimized for the distribution of program objects in a network such as the Internet. Java is somewhat simpler and easier to learn than C++ and has characteristics that give it other advantages over C++. However, both languages require a considerable amount of study.
I'm going out on a limb here and venturing that this note is from a guy about a guy. And that the "That was me!" note was added as a bit of graffiti by a random someone strolling down the street or perhaps waiting for the #38 to roll 'round again. And speaking of Craigslist, it wouldn't be surprising to find this or something similar posted of S.F's page.
this seems kind of lame
i dont really understand it
I find it more fun to read it as, when the subject took of its glasses, the writer got off. Musta been some perty eyes. Not to be confused with the puffy, mirror-shattering eyes of yesterday.
love that interpretation ,Rex. Can't hardly tell you're a playwright.. not hardly at all, the way you see this as a scene, as drama, can see the back story, and the epilogue. Nicely nicely.
i read through the note twice. the first time i read it was more of a skimming, and because of the poor sentence structure, i automatically assumed the man was fresh from some other country.
it was much more romantic with that assumption.
reading through again, of course, i saw that i had reached a rather silly conclusion.
anyway, this is a man with little experience in relationships, probably, because the less experience a man has in the Woman Department, the more likely it is that he is a hopeless romantic, and therefor, the more likely he is to assume that some woman he met on the train is his soul mate.
There seems to be a number of these "regret the missed connection" Finds.
Note to self: Do not let opportunity pass.
I agree, P in Indy. There seems to be a trend here the past few days. <sigh> I knead an Ancient Vivi Nashmare. And I have a craving for salt.
I'm hoping "Cowgirls" refers to -Even Cowgirls Get the Blues- by Tom Robbins.
Jordan Eldredge found the note that was written to him, so he writes 'that was me' on the note and sends it to foundmagazine. Besides that he sends an email to the guy or girl who wrote the note and they meet again and live happily ever after.. I guess.
The key here is that 'cowgirls' means the guy is a sensitive kinda guy (well, SF i mean!) and carrying a C++ book means clever, maybe smart, and definitely upwardly mobile because not everybody can code in C++, successfully anyway. And he's a good citizen. So he has all the markers she likes. Will they really like each other???
oh....yes, destiny slipped through their nimble fingers.
I feel like the note written at the bottom is just what someone wrote while passing by.
I wonder if they ever found each other? Perhaps it should be placed back where it was found.
It kind of reads like an opening of art film.
I am thinking the same thing Gigi is. I too wonder if they found each other.
...I would be majorly creeped out by this...
or maybe that's just me??
*rolls eyes* I swear, you Hens squawking about soul mates and true love--always in search of Prince Charming. Let's be practical about the situation for once. I completely agree with Rex. If this guy isn't a total creepizoid the likelihood of them seeing one another again on this route is great. Especially if there truly was something magical in the air that day. I speak, of course, from my personal knowledge.
I agree w/Bob in MT. Reads, writes, and either gives up a seat, or passes by those oh so enticing laterally mounted front seats.
I'm not creeped out in any way. Note is neither obsessive or crude. That this note exists gives grounds for hope (mine and the note's author).
I'm enjoying the term "model citizen". So 50's. I'll try using it 3 times today.
oh god Kara. You have totally missed the point of Rex's little piece, think. magical, schmagical.
Magic, like drugs, is nothing but hippie shit.
Don't buy it.
There is no such thing as soul mates. You hook up then maybe you get along or maybe you dont. If not move on.
Maybe there are no soul mates, maybe there isn't "magic" in the air, but isn't it okay to try and find the one you think you want?
No reason for this to be creepy. This is a fairly common thing to do. I do not see the dangers of letting people know your email address. It was probably a account they setup just to get resposes to this flyer. No more dangerous than having your name address and phone number printed in the phone book. Paranoid. Hope they find their guy/girl
I think you're right Freon. This is a man writing to another man. And the first thing I thought when I saw "that was me" written in the corner was that some passer-by wrote on it as a joke.
Unworthy, I am having the same craving.
Happy Birthday Rex! Many happy returns of the day.
Happy Birthday, Rex...
And the find, sweet. Not at all creepy, and I also believe the note in the corner was some smart alecky person just chiming in.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY REX & MANY MORE......... I don't have to say much about this find. It's too bad the author didn't have the guts to ask the girl/guy out for coffee or a casual date. Too bad for that sucker. I don't like weak/low self-esteem guys anyways. One must muster up the courage to go and get what one wants. If you can't do that, then you loss and your bad. I don't feel sorry for you. Sorry!
All those trashing the idea of finding your soul mate are just mad cuz they haven't found theirs. Those of us who have know you can, but y'all are so snotty we're not sharing the secret.
Le coup de foudre, ça existe!
Happy birthday, Rex! Enjoy your day! :o)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REX!! Your posts are always entertaining......thanks for sharing.
A wise man once said, "It's not about marrying the one that you love, it's about marrying the one you don't completely fucking hate."
Happy Birthday Rex. I got you a pony.
Orinoco- a soul mate implies a soul, and by now we all oughta know this simple truth: THE SOUL IS NOT!
now, on the other hand, attempting to meet someone with whom you may attempt monogomy is perfectly explainable without buying hippie bullshit. Indeed, statistically, most of us eventually do it.
Thank you well wishers. Tonight i celebrate with an exquisite corpse playwriting party.
Soul mates are real! Some people just have a few more soul mates than others.
Anyway, even if it's creepy, it's still romantic...more so than doing some physics.
I smell a sneaky spam broker at work...
have a happy, Rex.
Happy Birthday Rex!
I think soul mates are real. Sometimes it just takes a while to find.
Soul mates are real, but we usually don't meet them until we are already married to someone else.
Actually, I think having your name and addres in the phone book is way more dangerous than setting up a yahoo account just to get responses.
I wish someone would tell me the secret of finding your soul mate. It's getting late in the game for me....
I believe too many people are assuming that your soul mate can only be your loved one/sexual partner. I consider my best gal pal my soul mate. Couldn't live without her......click on all levels.....but just pals. However, when one is passionate love with their soul mate....well, there's nothing quite like it is there?
Don't despair Junky......yours will come......
soul mates? who knows whether or not they exist. If we truly don't have souls, as Rex says, then we can't have soul mates. I dont have mine. i don't know if i've ever known him, or ever will. happiness is elusive. Does it pass you by on the bus? is it that easy to lose it, once you think you see it? my mother always told me that its better to want something, than to have it, because once you have it, its not as good as you thought it was going to be. Does that rule apply to soulmates/truelove/lifepartner/mainsqueeze, as well?
I'm in love with this find. I hope they found each other.
wow sounds like one of those chance notes you see in the movies. where the girl and the guy meet. separate. and by some faith meet again through instances like this note. thats in the movies though. reality is. no one would reply because of all the creeps out there. sad. i wish life could sometimes read like a movie.
it's not about finding the right person, it's about being the right person, and having it happen with lucky timing. i've known many that i could have done really really well with, and still love love love. i just met them at the not right time. my wifey-poo and i met at the right, not at all wrong time, for both of us, when she and i were both actually ready for a feasible, not romantically deluded or dramatic relationship, and wanted to live up the the responsiblility and work of a really good realtionship. movie plots never work for humans, as much as we want them to. this is a quality board. happy b-day rex.
San Francisco is a magical place...
...if a note like this could bring two strangers back together, I really think it could happen there.
People are more open minded and laid back, and I'd say a whole lot more likely to respond to a note on a pole than in most cities.
I think maybe the "Cowgirls" could be the Tom Robbins book "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" -- seems like an appropriate read for a San Fran commuter!
This will end badly. "Law and Order" badly.
come on... soul mates? this reads like a long distance telephone commercial for nerds. :) I think the saving grace to the C++ line is if "Cowgirls" does indeed refer to "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues." I know I get all hot and bothered when a guy's reading Tom Robbins... but even more so when it's Jonathan Safran Foer. mmmm
Happy Birthday, Rex Baby! Have a high old time tonight! xoxoxo
Rex, what's a corpse playwriting party? Sounds macabre, I hope it's fun. Happy birthday. 30th?
Happy Birthday, Rex!
(before reading the comments) Wow. I hope he found her. I think she was reading "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues." Great book. I wonder how many email responses he got. And if he found her. (Now I will read the other comments.)
Kelsey knows good books! Rex demonstrated once again how Found can be used by English teachers as a writing prompt. And bravo to Oronoco qui parle français! Le coup de foudre, ça existe!
Craving salt...
Belated happy birthday, Rex! You are an inspiration to us all (you have your ideals, you have your politics and you are LIVING them -- and working hard at it too).
If I saw a girl reading 'Even Cowgirls Get the Blues' on a bus I'd probably run a mile. Meanwhile the search for the soul mate goes on (well, I think I did have mine but I didn't realise it at the time).
Cheers Orinoco, hope to meet you one day (or perhaps I already have). Or are you really in that Paris cafe with Gigi??
This seems quite San Francisco to me with the laid back "hey it's worth a shot" attitude. Just like on Craigslist missed connections.
The 38 Geary bus goes through parts of downtown SF, but mostly goes through the Richmond District towards the ocean to and from downtown. The Richmond is fairly residential and is where a good number of kids live who want to live in the city but can't afford or don't care about being in the super annoying/expensive hipster areas. Plus it seems safer than many parts of the city. The commute by 38 Geary is sorta long and hellish to get downtown so you need something to occupy you--like chatting with someone casually on the bus.
The whole hypothesis of guy writing the note to another guy is possible, but is probably based on people stereotyping San Francisco who really got their impressions of the city form stereotypes and Rush Limbaugh. The Richmond isn't exactly gay central. I'd guess it's a note from a guy about a girl.
C++ is a programming language and one of the more "hard core" ones that says you're a serious geek and probably at least sorta smart. I could see a nerdy guy being impressed by a girl who could code. Geek Chic is SO Bay Area, too. You can laugh if you want but they'd laugh at your ass for being uptight about social conventions or your middle American naivety in thinking another big box shopping experience is improving your community or quality of life.
"Cowgirls" is almost certainly "Only Cowgirls Get the Blues" and he didn't need to say the whole title since most people of their age and social group can figure it out. Plus she was reading it, so she would know.
And yes, "That was me!" was probably someone being funny since they had nothing much else to do while waiting for their bus.
Google "Exquisite Corpse" and you'll get the idea. It's generally done with drawing, but we tried it with writing a play last night, made for some funny shit and wild random character identity shifting. It climaxed with eating the heads off babies, (infants... infant babies) in a Wal Mart parking lot at 3AM. Great fun.
Belated BDay wishes for Rex!! Tie me up and several others already mentioned what I was gonna say.. but I'll say it anyway.. I do SO hope that the subject of the note was reading TR's Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
Also, I'd bet that those of you worried about the sanctity of the note-poster's email account needn't worry- s/he probably set up an email account special just for this soulmate search.
Oh. And I believe in soulmates, magic, and hippie bullshit. I don't "buy it", cuz it's just out there, free for the sharing. (by those of us naive enough to believe that there's more to this mean old world than meets the eye.)
Did anyone else notice that there are crinkles in the paper, but THE WORDS ARE NOT CRINKLED?!
Maybe you did, but I don't feel like reading every single freaking comment.
(PS: I'm thinking I'm going to fail College Algebra. BUT AT LEAST I GOT THE SPAM QUESTION RIGHT!!!!)
Too Critical: Oh no! I'm scared that this might not be real now. It's certainly suspicious, that's for sure. What does everyone else this?
Took one look at it and knew: fake. The "That was me!" appears to actually be scrawled on the paper, but the "ad" is super-imposed over the picture of the crumpled paper.