Jonalysis

Antonio Graceffo, a full-time adventurer and writer, is attending paramedic training in Manila, the Philippines. When his course finishes, he will return to the conflict in Burma as a medical volunteer. In “From Fighter to Paramedic“, Antonio recounts his experiences in the paramedic training:

One of the UK training videos we watched was of a paramedic on a motorcycle. The idea is motorcycles can arrive at the scene faster and start rendering aid while waiting for the ambulance to come and evacuate the patient.

“Any comments?” Aiden asked, when the video had finished.

“Cool uniform.” I said.

“We all wear that flash-green jacket and helmet in the UK.”

“No, I meant the leather pants. Do we all get to wear leather pants?”

“No.”

“Well, is there some other career I can pursue where I do wear leather pants? I don’t want to throw away six months of hard work and study only to continue wearing cloth.”

Every year, The Utah Shakespearean Festival performs some play by William Shakespeare in the schools of Utah, Idaho and Arizona. This year, the play is “Romeo and Juliet”.

All male actors wear leather pants.

I would not mind being a high school student in Utah for a while. Seventy-five minutes, to be exact.

In 1973, rock singer Lou Reed was giving a concert in Buffalo. A fan leaped onto the stage, screamed “Leather!”, and bit Reed in the rear end. A blogger commented that he would have yelled “Sunglasses!”. I would have probably yelled “Leather! Sunglasses!”.

There is something very appealing about certain kinds of men in certain kinds of sunglasses. Is there such a thing as a sunglass fetish? If there is, I think I have one.

I think it has something to do with the fact that when a man is wearing sunglasses, I cannot look him in the eyes whereas he can look me in the eyes. Unless, of course, I am wearing sunglasses, too. I rarely do. I suspect that I do not look cool in sunglasses, only pathetic.

Why should the ability to look somebody in the eyes matter then? I do not know. I just have a hunch that it does.

Or perhaps the fascination with sunglasses has something to do with shine? Matte sunglasses do not appeal to me as much as shiny, reflective sunglasses. Especially shiny, reflective, colored sunglasses. Naff, yes, but what can you do.

Perhaps I have a gene that forces me to be attracted to wearable shiny things? Hmm, that cannot be the answer. I’m not that thrilled about rubber clothes. (That’s a department my partner takes care of for the both of us.)

Argh, all this jonalyzing gives me a headache. I need to get out. It’s a sunny day. Lots of men out and about in sunglasses, I hope.