I have hesitated to introduce myself because I know my long-winded style of doing so and I don’t want to put anyone to sleep.

Long story short:
41 years old
Jew by background historically and proud of that - but atheist/secular humanist/buddhist characterologically.  I even tried to be religious at some points but couldn’t do the God thing.

Love science and learning - history major at U of Mich in 1983 and floundered after that for about 20 years.

Did well as tech news writer for a while until laid off - sold tons on flea Bay but not enough to live in Westchester (even Croton).

Never got along well with male, corporate America - too much sports talk.

Have great family but very few freinds at all - almost none locally - because I’m such an oddball I guess.  Don’t fit in at church or synogogue I guess.

Therefore, as much as I love skepticism and science and learning - I’m bottom line lonely even with a great wife and kids (2).

Wish there were people in Westchester to hang out with and be friends with.

Now I own a gourmet cheese shop (very high end) on Palmer Ave in Larchmont, NY called Auray Cheese Shop. Leaves me a lot of time to read and write.

If I could do it all over again I think I’d push myself into the sciences if I could handle the math. Also love photography and nature - and writing.

I have a blog for the store: cheeseshopdiaries.blogspot.com and a personal blog spastic judatheist.

That’s my deal. Wife is information and referral specialist for childen with special needs. Needless to say we dont make enough money to live.

Combination of rough ‘choices’ and characterological impairments and impediments. What can you do…

We have a close family, healthy and safe - over the top bright kids, etc. So it’s hard to complain too much except we are so strapped financially we can’t even paint our walls - let alone have some vacation breaks.

Sounds tough, Matthew, but I’d bet running the cheese shop would be fun and interesting at least. Puts me in mind of the Monty Python sketch—I’m sure you’ve heard that one about a billion times.

:wink:

Re: Fromager from Westchester County - Croton and Larchmont

[quote author=“fromager”]I don’t want to put anyone to sleep.

Not at all, Matthew! A guy who sells cheese, hates sports and doesn’t have money to paint the walls… Sounds like a beginning of a well written novel. You made me laugh. What do you like to write about?

I like to write about anything… I end up writing about me.

but I particularly like to vent my negative emotions in writing :D
According to my mother I’m very, very good at it.

I love to write about the devolution of our species as well.

I guess I write mainly sarcastic, negative type stuff that points out what an angry Darwin Awards lover I am.

I think I’d have less time and space to be angry and upset if I had more friends - but friends are hard to come by at 41 when you never had a steady career and you don’t belong to any typical social grouping in this here country.

I’m drawn towards Buddhism a bit - but frankly it’s very hard to find any people with common interests in the suburbs. There ain’t much going on out here. People are mainly obsessed with money.

I was sort of enjoying writing about technology when I did it for Internet.com (now Jupitermedia) as a Web site editor for wireless technology. But I got laid off - probably a combination of the fact that I don’t play well with male management and the Internet crash itself.

I’d love to write a book, as you mention - but I can never think of a topic really.

I’ve been told countless times that I should write though. Same as I was told when I did photography that I should be a photographer.

I’m the renaissance man - good at everything - great at nothing (except accumulating debt and anxiety).

It’s cathartic (for about 4 minutes) to write about all of it - but in the long run nothing much changes.

I guess I’m better off than I was - I don’t have a boss anymore and I don’t have to pretend that I care what sport’s season it is and what corporate franchise I’m a fan of.

I’m going to get to this nearby meditation group soon - I keep promising myself. It’s kind of odd though - joining a group and then sitting silently…

I post stuff all over the place about myself on places like myspace and even on my blog for the cheese shop: cheeseshopdiaries.blogspot.com

I have a great family though - great wife and 2 healthy, super intelligent kids and we are all healthy and fine - so I guess in perspective I can’t complain too much.

It’s just hard when I serve so many customers who are always celebrating with friends and my wife and I don’t really have any.

Re: I like to write about anything… I end up writing about

[quote author=“fromager”]It’s just hard when I serve so many customers who are always celebrating with friends and my wife and I don’t really have any.

I don’t know what to say to you, Matthew. Try selling coffins instead(?).:wink:

I now have fewer friends than I used to, but I like it that way. Sometimes I feel like “an old gentleman of considerable charm and culture, who had fallen, however, into bad habits of silence, having, as he explained once to Lady Agatha, said everything that he had to say before he was thirty.”
(Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray)

Thanks George… that made me feel great

Thanks for that kind reply.

Try selling coffins?

I thought that this, of all places, would have people who were empathic and intelligent.

I guess even that was asking too much.

I do fine selling cheese, thanks.

But I don’t think you should take up either comedy or a helping profession anytime soon.

My reaction to your response to my situation wouldn’t be diplomatic.

Re: Thanks George… that made me feel great

[quote author=“fromager”]But I don’t think you should take up either comedy or a helping profession anytime soon.

You’re right, Matthew. I apologize.:oops: