The other night we went up to the Haight to catch a movie at a worker-owned theater. Having arrived early, we pulled out the footbag.
A few different folks joined us and we had a good-sized circle when a passing hipster wanted in. He stayed for two or three serves, thanked us for the game, and ran off to whatever was waiting for him.
Something was inauthentic about the interaction. He had joined the circle knowing that he would stay only a short time–too short a time to actually play the game. His goal was not to have an experience, it was to consume an experience. To taste just enough to say he had been there, to feel versatile and worldly, to treat 2 minutes and 43 seconds as an object which he could swallow and carry with him. Like reading a synopsis instead of watching the movie–you still know what happened, but you didn’t honestly experience it.
I want to say it’s the hipster M.O., that they’re just dabblers. There’s some truth in that, but it’s all of us. It’s a cultural emphasis on product over process. I strive to move away from that.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Is there not still some value in extending our inclusive pursuits without prejudice? Should this hipster, or any other participant in the game, be required to sign a form or give his bond that he will stay until the founder deems the game to be over? Perhaps the feeling of in-authenticity is conflated with subconscious resentment: “This man had something so pressing that he could not play hackey-sack with us for as long as the dictates of our unspoken agreement required.” But even if this is so, perhaps it is not unreasonable to ask, “Hey man, are you in for the long haul?”
I wasn’t there. Maybe there was a real vibe going around before this interloper arrived; but to the removed analyst, this sounds like one instance where goodwill ought to reign over petty concerns for authenticity and unofficial group politics. It sounds like he had a nice time, and maybe the next time you see this hurried hipster on the haight, he’ll invite you to that mysterious event he bustled off to; and your grudging inclusion will flower into an “authentic” social interaction.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I wasn’t miffed that he didn’t stay longer. It was his attitude, which I recognized, having displayed it myself from time to time. If he were truly enjoying himself, it wouldn’t matter how long he played. And it is true, it is not for me to decide whether or not he enjoyed himself. But I perceived that it was more about being able to quantify his evening by remember that he “played” footbag with some strangers than it was about playING footbag. And then it struck me that this attitude frequently informs our generation, and I strive to move away from that.