But if you ever hear I was an English major in college... in casual conversation, you should probably either walk away or tune out the rest of the chat as best you can. Ex English majors who did not get teaching, reading, or writing jobs (and even some who did) can be absolutely insufferable.
Not only will they TELL you they were English majors, they'll bend over backwards to PROVE it to you (whether you care or not). And they will likely do it in the most longwinded and boring manner possible.
I'll let you in on another secret, we're also very likely to go into the classics section in the bookstore so that we can stand there, smile to ourselves, and think to I read that one and that one and that one! We can do it for hours, so tread lightly in that section. :)
I think it's kind of an ego thing. We don't major in English to get the million-dollar jobs. We do it because we like to read. And, in lieu of the fat wallet, I guess we're driven to show off our fat brains.
So beware of English majors at cocktail parties. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Did I ever mention, Nicole, that I WAS AN ENGLISH MAJOR in college? No?! Let me tell you: it was a thankless major, and unlike all of the jocks and business majors out there, we actually set foot in the library! In fact, if I recall correctly, I moved out of my apartment and into the great reading room for a semester at OU! Ah, Milton...have I told you about my deep, passionate love for Milton? Or Chaucer? My faaaaaavorite, of course, has to be [insert relatively-unknown author's name here, or relatively-unreadable author's name. Anything that will show how freaking above the rabble I was].
ReplyDeleteThe truth, as you know: I did spend wonderful hours in the reading room, and I was awake for many of them, and sometimes actually reading. The rest of the time I was wandering around, reading at various other places, but it was a privilege (because I wasn't at a transmission shop), and NOT a chore. I just pretend to have sludged through it all to impress my Comp. students. We really are insufferable! I peeled off at a Christmas party Sunday evening to read through a book I found.