Writing | Self
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“Are you a man or a woman?”
“Are you straight, gay, or bisexual?”
“How much money do you make?
My census interview felt like an awkward, overly direct first date. The rapid-fire bluntness of his questions rang of a curious toddler, who stopped short of asking me where babies come from.
We were standing on my front porch yesterday, having this conversation because I’d thrown my census letter away on accident.
And then he asked, “What is your profession?”
I said, “I’m a writer.”
The 70-year-old man lit up, “Oh is that so!”
This paused our interview.
He started telling me about an autobiography he’s always wanted to write, elaborating for a full five minutes on it and all he’d seen in life, including meeting Dr. Martin Luther King.
His excitement is fairly common and, to a degree, flattering. People never responded with that enthusiasm when I said I worked in finance.
