Between the Lines: A behind-the-scenes look at some people I've never met before | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Between the Lines: A behind-the-scenes look at some people I've never met before

Because I like taking pictures of people I don't know and justifying it by giving them a back story

9
Between the Lines: A behind-the-scenes look at some people I've never met before

I've developed the unfortunate habit of taking pictures of strangers on the train. I'm not sure what sparked the habit, but I imagine it was something like "hey, look at this cute old man I saw on the way home today." (Even though I'm not sure I have ever remembered to show anyone these pictures). To make it seem less weird that this happens sometimes, I will make up back stories for some of my subjects in the event that someone will go through my phone, although no one ever has. These are their stories :


Seymour

This is Seymour. He is on his way to referee a paddle ball tournament. He sensibly wears a hat from his time in the cast of Broadway's Newsies to shield his eyes from the sun's rays reflecting off of the court as well as the players' bald heads. Seymour was quite the crazy one growing up when he frequented the underground discotheque in the former Czechoslovakia during the height of communism in the country. These youth hangout lounges were largely outlawed by the communist regime, so every evening Seymour risked his freedom for the funk. Seymour has not returned to the country, although he has been close by; he spent last winter backpacking through the Balkans and even stayed in one of the bunkers Enver Hoxha had built in Albania. What an interesting fellow.

Vincent



This is Vincent and he leads a much different life than Seymour. Vincent is the drummer for a Hootie and the Blowfish metal cover band, Hootie and the Blowtorch, and adapts such songs as "Let Her Cry" (Let Her Die) and "Only Wanna Be With You" (I Only Wanna Be Consumed). Here we have Vincent on his daily commute to his day job at Baby Gap where he is hoping to earn enough money to buy a used car for his band to use on their frequent trips to Martha's Vineyard. He is looking forward to this summer when his cousin comes in from Canada and they rent an Airbnb on Fire Island. He is hoping to work on his tan while listening to Adele's first CD.


Maurice

This is Maurice. He studied under the late Jacques Cousteau and has since carried on his legacy by wearing his own adaptation of the signature beanie. He is currently doing research off of the north shore of Long Island on the effects of Urban Sprawl on the marine life of these once pristine waters. He, unfortunately, was recently diagnosed with diabetes and initially struggled with ways to combat his spells of low blood sugar. He found his answer in keeping a fistful of unwrapped butterscotch candies in his pockets for easy access when he is feeling a bit woozy. He is rooting for Bernie Sanders to win the Democratic nomination in the upcoming general election and even arrived 6 hours early to his rally in Washington Square Park earlier in April. He only had to eat 2 butterscotch candies.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

1688
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1102
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

286
winter

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

1709
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments