People keep asking you to have dinner. You never know if you’re on a job interview, or a career advice session, or a date, or just hanging out as friends. Only rarely do you ever find out.
People keep asking you to Skype. You forgot your Skype password years ago and have never bothered to recover it. You ask if you can meet in person instead. One day in a moment of desperation you borrow a work laptop and find your coworker still logged into Skype. You hope he doesn’t notice. You wonder how long you can keep this up.
You are applying to Open Phil. Your roommate is applying to Open Phil. Your boss’s ex-wife’s second cousin is applying to Open Phil. At least 60% of your metamours are applying to Open Phil. You feel like you have always been applying to Open Phil. You feel like you will always be applying to Open Phil.
People are always in the places you least expect them. When asked they give eerily similar reasons. “Why are you in Berkeley?” “My house was too crowded.” “Why are you in Santa Cruz?” “My house was too loud.” “Why are you in my office? You don’t even work here.” “My house has too many naked people.” You wonder what mysterious hold these houses have over their inhabitants.
Everyone around you thinks that the end of the world is imminent. “Unless Paul’s right, of course.” You wonder who this Paul is. You pray he’s right.