Last week, I asked for people’s assumptions about me, and I would answer (in character, from 1997) whether or not your assumptions were true. I got very few submissions, but I did promise I would answer. If you still want to participate, let me know in the comments and I will reply.
From Bridgette:
“I assume Greg has an extensive CD collection and perhaps wears lots of band t-shirts.”
That seems like it would be true, but it’s actually not. I have a CD collection, but I’m also a student who knows enough about math to not spend money recklessly. I want to be absolutely sure I’ll like the CD before I spend that much money on it. And I don’t really go to a lot of concerts (I still regret having passed on the chance to see the Grateful Dead with my dad), and I don’t feel right wearing band shirts if I haven’t seen them live.
I should point out, however, that everything you assumed is correct for adult Greg in 2022.
From Lily:
“You play the violin or some other instrument in an orchestra.
You like fishing.
You prefer bowties to actual ties.
You sing second bass in the college choir.”
I don’t play an instrument. I took piano lessons for a few years as a kid, and one year I took a music class at school and learned to play saxophone. I quit because music was for nerds, according to 10-year-old me. I hadn’t yet embraced being a nerd. I didn’t do anything with music for several years, until I started singing at my previous church during my sophomore year at UJ, and then singing in University Chorus the year after that.
I’ve never been fishing. I grew up with a mom who is not outdoorsy at all and a dad who spent all his time working.
I don’t prefer ties at all, to be honest. That bow tie just came with the tuxedo. I usually wear t-shirts, or if I’m at church, a polo-type shirt.
Yes, I sing bass! We haven’t sung anything that had more than four part harmony, though, so all the basses sing the same part; there aren’t separate first and second bass parts.
That’s it… no one else replied… but if anyone has any other assumptions about me, let me know in the comments and I’ll reply. Also, be sure to follow Greg Out Of Character; I’ll be posting there soon asking for assumptions about adult Greg, as well as some other thoughts about writing. Next week on here I’ll be posting the year 3 recap, hopefully.
And, just so I have something to post, here’s a picture of Danny Foster, one of the youth group kids at church, giving me a piggy back ride. Strong guy.
Don't Let The Days Go By 
Huh, I never tried the saxaphone (though I did piano for a few years too.) Was it hard to learn?
Yes! I at least got the bass part right lol. I used to sing alto in the highschool choir.
Thanks for answering our questions, Mr. Greg. This was a lot of fun!
(Wow, your youth group kid is really strong! Lol.)
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I was never good enough at saxophone to know if I would say it was easy or hard to learn. I’ve blocked out a lot of memories from that year, because it was a really rough year.
Thanks for participating!
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Ah, I’m sorry to hear that that was a rough year.
Sure thing!
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I love that you answer these as a student and then as Greg 2022.
I’m sorry I’ve been so behind in blogs otherwise you would have had assumptions from me, sorry!
Okay. Having thought about this, I realised it’s really, really difficult. I keep thinking about things you wore or ate. I can’t do the deeper issues as it feels too personal to make assumptions on them! I’ll just do one or two of those 😆
* You finished your Uni course and had no idea what you wanted to do job-wise.
* You wore Converse or Vans or similar sneakers (I’m in the UK so not fully sure what was the popular choice over there in this niche).
* You’re pretty tall (technically that’s the only one I can guarantee is true if it’s in relation to me, as I’m 5ft 3inch on a good day). I think you were a bit taller than others in your classes.
* You weren’t too bothered with fashion or brand names or wearing things to fit in.
* You were pretty sensible with money and what you spent it on, even if your friends weren’t.
* You ate a lot of pizza and fast food (a very student-related assumption!)
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Also, don’t hesitate to ask things a little more personal or deep if you had something in mind.
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I’m not going to answer the job one yet, because that story will be told in season 4 of DLTDGB. Where I stand currently as of June 1997 is that I’m about to leave for an eight-week internship in Oregon doing math research. I certainly didn’t know what I wanted to do when I started at UJ, but I spent some time this year exploring the options (see episode 116), and this internship will be a way to see if staying in school forever and getting a Ph.D. is really for me. One of my favorite professors also suggested something that had been completely off my radar for most of my life: being a teacher (see episodes 121 and 126). I definitely want to see how this summer goes before I choose between grad school, teaching, or neither.
Converse and Vans were popular here, but I’ve never owned a pair. I have oddly shaped feet, and most shoes are extremely uncomfortable. I tried on a pair of Converse high-tops when I was around 8 or 9 (1985ish), and they didn’t fit at all, and not just because of the high-top part. I mostly wore athletic shoes, mostly because I also have large feet, and they weren’t quite so hard to find in my size. These days I pretty much exclusively wear New Balance, because I like the way they fit. I know they have a reputation, so to speak, but I don’t care, which also means that your assumption about me and fashion and brand names is correct. (One exception to that, though; as for jeans, I pretty much exclusively wear Levi’s 550s. I’m just used to them.)
Tall. Yes. Definitely correct. Between 6ft3 and 4.
Sensible with money, yes, true, both as a student and as an adult. I know math, I understand how interest rates work, so I pay off my credit card every month. I’m not of the mentality that having money in my account means that I have to spend it all. So many people spend money so frivolously on things they don’t really need. I also grew up in a family that didn’t spend a lot of money frivolously (at least not on me), and I spent much of my 30s just getting by, so I’m just in a habit of being frugal.
I ate a fair amount of pizza and fast food, but probably not as much as some students. As of 1997, I still haven’t internalized that I can just call up and order a pizza whenever I feel like it (possibly the frugality thing again). I did discover a restaurant in my neighborhood that I really like, but I don’t go there on my own very often (see episode 109). Most of the time when I eat fast food, it’s when I’m on a road trip somewhere. As an adult, I eat at least as much pizza and fast food as I did when I was a student, if not more. About five years ago, I got in the habit of treating myself to fast food or fast-casual (like one step higher than fast food, where it’s a little bit better quality food but they don’t actually wait your table) once or twice every weekend just to unwind. (I don’t do that mid-week as often as I used to, because sometimes the caffeine in soda keeps me awake, whereas it didn’t when I was younger). When everything shut down because of COVID, I started eating out a little more often to try to support local restaurants in my neighborhood. (The restaurant that the aforementioned episode 109 is about 30 miles from where I live now, but they have become a regional chain, with something like 12 locations in this metropolitan area, one of which is just two miles away. That’s still one of my go-to places… I was just there less than a week ago.)
Does that answer your questions? :)
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