The Human Dependency Factor

Well…I have been really personally been bugged with this issue. There’s a reason why I do most of the things on my own. I truly live by this motto: “If you want something done right do it yourself.” You’ll find out why by reading the next stories.

Sociology Norm Braking Project

I break norms everyday by singing out-loud to myself in the pouring rain or by staring at some stranger for a long period of time. So once I heard about the project, I though to myself, “This is going to be easy.” Well…That was not the cause do to the fact that I needed a partner for the project in order for the other person to observe what’s going on.
To be honest, I was pissed off by the whole project. I couldn’t find a partner and literally 15 people e-mailed me about partners and I didn’t get one response back. After finally finding a partner in my Sociology class, we had to decide the norm braking project…which norm to break. I wanted to do a vow of silence for a whole day, but my partner did not. He had a plan about going to the arcade, and talking to strangers when you challenge them to a video game. The concept was “weak sauce” (another term for sucks) but I went along with it. Since I had a “weak sauce” partner who rarely talked to his subject during video game play and the concept was very weak, I got another bad grade on another college paper.
(I am really getting used to getting C on my papers. Most of the time, I write “on the fly” and I have some unique ideas in my writing. What I have found out is that some regurgitation with lots of analysis helps to get a good grade).

Meeting with a Sociology Professor

After the 1st week of classes in my Sociology 1 class, I really started to like my professor. As a result, I decide to visit him during his office hours on the 2nd week. After having a quick 30 minute conversation with him, I thought that I would see him more often because students rarely see their teachers during office hours especially in the beginning of the academic year. (Was I wrong)! After that meeting, I have gone in 5 times to his office hours, each time waiting for about 30 minutes because someone else is in there talking to him. I don’t want to interrupt and be rude by ending the conversation since I have some common courtesy (which most people don’t have these days).
Since I knew people were always going to be at his office hours, I decide to have a chat with him by setting up an appointment.
Okay, so I e-mail my professor. I read my e-mail at 1 PM and he stated that I could meet him after 1 PM at his office. So, I immediately respond back by saying that I’ll be there at 1:30 PM.
I am at the office at 1:30 PM, and I wait 5 minutes. I decide to leave, because I thought that he forgot about it. I walk about 6 long blocks back to the workout facility, and check my e-mail. The professor said he would meet me after 1:40 PM. So, I decided to run back to his office 20 minutes later. (The problem was that both of my bicycles at Davis did not work. Therefore, I ran back and forth 6 blocks during a 35 minute span).
I show up to his office at 2:05, and the professor was not there. I left once again because of my busy schedule and just being plain ol tired of being shut-out without a meeting.
At 4PM, I checked my e-mail once again. The professor replied back by stating, “I am not happy. I came here just for you.”
That made me feel like shift…But what there’s more. After some more e-mails, I decide that we should me at Café Roma in Davis on Thursday after 1 PM. From noon-1PM, the professor would be talking to some grad student.
Okay, after passing by Café Roma at 12:45 Pm on my way to the bank, I arrive at the Café at 1PM. The grad student and professor were still talking. I still decide not to acknowledge my presence and let them finish their conversation. So, I decide to take a chair & sit 10 feet away from him. After 20 minutes of hearing them both talk about Durkheim and watching my professor smoke some weed (remember this is a public institution), I decide to leave.
By the way, my Soc 1 professor is an assimilated African-American who taught 7 years at Yale College. But, I talk to him because I am very interested in his class and rants about society.

Meeting with another Professor

So, I ask my cool Spanish teacher after class, “What time can I meet you?” He replies back by saying during his office hours from 10AM-11AM and from 2PM-3PM. Since I had to study for a midterm that I had to take at noon, I decide to try to meet him from 2PM-3PM. I passed by his office at 2:05 PM, 2:35 PM, AND 2:50 PM. All three times, he wasn’t in his office but his umbrella was outside his door though.

Brief Conclusion

This is why I have my theory on the human dependency factor. When you have to depend on strangers, most of the time it’s not really going to work out according to plan. This is why I have hundreds of acquaintances but some that I actually call a friend.