Oh, Yesterday

Solomon and I happened upon one another by chance yesterday - Solomon is a grad student friend of mine - and we had a long discussion. Okay, Solomon stumbled across me by chance. He happened to enter the building I was having my basic math class in and when he glanced through the window to see if the computer lab was in use, he spotted me. He said he had never seen anyone look more bored and was tempted to make a face at me, considering I was the only person who could see him. He refrained - I told him next time he could make as many faces as he wanted, because I had been very, very bored - and I went in search of him after the class let out.

We walked downtown and had chocolate chip mint milkshakes at the Pampered Palate - it's the only place that serves chocolate chip mint milkshakes - while discussing local theatre. Another thing we discussed is his penchant for protecting me. Solomon is an overprotective guy and he has this tendency to look on me as sort of a younger sister - it's not unwelcome, but I don't know how to tell him that I really don't need a Knight Protector all the time. At least not now. For example, this summer I had a "thing" for a man of my acquiantance. (Which quickly ended, due to his highly offensive political views - it wasn't so much his views, but his way of expressing them that pissed me off royally). Regardless, said man is now in a relationship with a woman both Solomon and I know - she's also a grad student, and not a very intelligent one, at that. Solomon had known at the time that I liked the man; so that the first time he saw the man and the woman together, he was immediately struck by the thought, "Shae is going to get hurt. How do I save her?"

He quickly informed his girlfriend - who is a very close friend of mine - who in turn, informed me in a very gentle way over coffee on Saturday. (I already knew about it, which I informed her in a very gentle way.) In fact, part of the purpose of the milkshake-outing for Solomon was making sure I was "okay". Which is all very well and good, but I ask you - am I really that defenseless-seeming? Do I somehow project the need to be protected and defended? Is it because I'm "pocket-sized", as Solomon says? Or is there just an aura around me that drives men and older women to feel that over-protective urge?

I'm just curious.