Reflections on the word "True(ish)"

Let me start by saying this: I stammer when I'm flustered.

So for those handful of you who read these entries, understand that when I say "I said" what I really mean is: "after stammering and sweating, and maybe saying a few things that I've ommited here for the sake of brevity (and there's not much of that on this blog) and a story that doesn't drown in "ums","ands", and "uhs", I finally squeezed these words out, in more or less this order." I don't have a history of levelheadedness, and if I sound cool, calm, and collected in these stories, which do come from my semi-distant past, it is totally because I want you to think I was, even if I wasn't.

I also compress multiple interactions into one or two key encounters. Again, this is so I don't have to bog everyone down with "and then the next day... and then the day after that... and after the 16th time.." This makes it seem like I can just intuit motives and attitudes in other people after just one or two casual meetings. I usually can't. Though I will say this: you can tell a LOT about people by how they dress. Don't tell me that isn't true, because it is. Maybe that's especially true in New York, but trust me. People want to be known and if they don't you can tell that by how they dress.

So when I say "true(ish)" what I mean is this: these people exist, I worked in these places for the reasons I give, the observations of the settings are true to my memory and what I don't remember, I do a little research to make sure it's true. The encounters are real, but they probably didn't go as smoothly as I make it out and the endings were not the neat little packages I turn them into. And also, I sweat a lot when I'm nervous, so if it feels more honest to you to imagine me sweating when I tell someone off, go right ahead.

Just thought I'd give folks a heads up, in case you were thinking "that can't possibly be true, I know Jess and she is NOT that articulate." I am if you cut out the fat.