I Look Like I Know What's Going On

I Look Like I Know What's Going On

Copyright Jonathan McNeill 20020227

I've had awhile to ponder this one, so hang in with me, it's a long story ... sorta.

For inexplicable reasons, people think I look like I know what's going on. People come up to me and ask me questions expecting to get an informative answer. The first time I realised this was at a music festival (Cornerstone 2001).

At literally every concert except two, someone would ask me either who the band was or where the bathroom was. I wasn't wearing anything that would lead you to believe I was officially anything. Just another concert-goer with unkempt hair, sweat all over the place, and smelled bad. I identified Bride, Stavesacre, Spoken, and a bunch of others I forgot.

As if that wasn't crazy enough, I was walking through a Wal-Mart and some guy (in his 40s I'd guess) came up to me and asked me if I worked for Wal-Mart. Here I am, unkempt hair, unshaved, jeans and a faded t-shirt, and this guy is asking me if I work for Wal-Mart. The answer, of course, is no. I don't work for that hell-hole (I work for an entirely different hell-hole).

Then I had some guy at my real place of employment ask me if I knew where this coin with arabic/aramaic script on it was from. I can't read either arabic or aramaic, so I suggested he try an arabic country. In hindsight, I should have recommended a militant Islamic state since there were no pictures on the coin (certain variations of Islamic forbids graven images, the Taliban was one government with a policy against graven images).

I can't imagine the amount of questions I would be answering if I cut my shaved every day and cut my hair. I like giving out interesting information, so this hasn't been too annoying yet, but one day it may be.

Speculations on the eventual irritation of this aside, I would still like to know what it is that makes people think I know the answers to their questions. If you have any suggestions (or any questions ;) ), e-mail me. My picture is below, so you can make your own assumptions about why I look knowledgeable.