Talking with Strangers of No Interest
by Kyle Bosman
Every month Minutiae sits down with one random, unspecial stranger. This month it was Winston, Casanova of New Jersey, who approached the editors while they were having a meeting in a Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers. He wears sunglasses inside, a Zelda shirt, khaki shorts with pulled-up socks, and carries a magazine bag with drum sticks. He is a real person, though his name has been changed for obvious reasons*.
Minutiae: What.
Winston: What are you guys doing?
M: We’re making a pretend magazine.
W: Oh, well I just saw you guys had a bunch of papers here and you looked like you were having fun.
M: We’re writing articles about thankfulness.
W: Oh.
M: For Thanksgiving.
W: I usually spend Thanksgiving alone, because I don’t know anyone here.
M: —
W: Where are you guys from?
M: The East Coast.
W: I’m from New Jersey.
M: Do you ever miss it?
W: I miss the pizza. There’s no good pizza here.
M: Yeah. Is there anything you don’t miss?
W: I don’t miss running into ex-girlfriends everywhere I go.
M: Did that happen a lot?
W: Yes. What do you guys do?
M: This magazine is very profitable. What do you do?
W: I’m a programmer; I work with augmented reality.
M: Like when you look at the world through your iPhone’s camera and it knows what you’re looking at?
W: Heh, well that’s a small part of augmented reality. I’m working on the action figures for the new James Cameron film.
M: How does that work with toys?
W: You have to wear special glasses.
M: What are you thankful for?
W: Um. Canter’s Deli is good. Also, that I don’t have to run into an ex-girlfriend wherever I go. Seriously, God it was so awkward. It was like, “hey…” I’m just trying to eat.
M: Thank you.
M: What a nerd
M: Total nerd.
M: What’s his deal?
M: I hate this place.
*This obvious reason for Mintuiæ’s consideration is that if his ex-girlfriends found out where he was, his life would fall into shambles.