I must look like a cop. Everywhere I go, cops give me the wave or the nod. It happened again today. Two motorcycles cops passed me while I was unloading groceries and I got the wave. My students think I look like a cop, paramilitary, mercenary. My father was in the military. My alter ego is a wrestling coach or an MMA fighter, but I am a geek introvert college English instructor who listens to NPR, practices yoga, eats mostly vegetarian, suffers from an unhealthy radio obsession, tends toward the morose and is afflicted with OCD. The whole cop image is a counter-persona designed to ward off the neuroses and my somewhat pessimistic Hobbesian worldview. For Carl Jung, my cop persona would be called the Jungian Shadow.
And being Irish, you have another trait that makes you appear cop-ish. But yeah, I'd say you have more of that Mr. Woodcock Wrestling Coach personna going for you.
Posted by: Ed S. | May 30, 2008 at 03:01 PM
And to think I've also been compared to George Costanza. Sheesh.
Posted by: Jeff McMahon | May 30, 2008 at 03:36 PM
A cop? More like a South Armagh Provo fresh in from the country scaring off the local Belfast wannabes who dared interrupt his pint...which on this side of the Atlantic would be, well, yes, a cop.
Posted by: Mike W | May 30, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Mike, do you write novels? You have a distinct linguistic acquisition that reminds me of certain satirical novelists--Thomas Berger, Kingsley Amis, and a few others. Jeff
Posted by: Jeff McMahon | May 30, 2008 at 10:24 PM
Novels? Me? I'm just a harmless BS'er, Jeff.
Posted by: Mike W | May 30, 2008 at 10:37 PM
The best BSers are the best novelists, so my confusion is understandable.
Posted by: Jeff McMahon | May 31, 2008 at 05:29 AM
jeff, you do, im afraid have a distinct cop look! something about that mug screams "liscense, registration and insurance sir"
Posted by: gerald johnson | June 01, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Must be my father's military background passed down.
Posted by: Jeff McMahon | June 01, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Just wondering: In the third picture, are you the guy in the air or on the ground?
;-)
Posted by: Cyril | June 01, 2008 at 03:05 PM
Cyril, the photo is of Cro-Cop and his opponent. I juxtaposed those photos with mine for humorous effect.
Posted by: Jeff McMahon | June 01, 2008 at 03:35 PM
Me too. I've had people tell me for years I look like a cop.
I used to work for Comcast Cable T.V.in San Francisco.
I could walk into the lobby of one of the many low-rent hotels or apartments in the Tinderloin
in my black windbreaker, whip out my walkie-talkie and people would scatter. It was a hoot.
Posted by: Michael Brent | June 22, 2008 at 01:02 AM
Wow, looking like a cop in San Francisco, where being a slender hipster has all the cachet. That must have been tough. I'm from the SF Bay Area and SF people can be so hipper than thou. However, I still love the place and could live there--if I could afford it.
Posted by: Jeff McMahon | June 22, 2008 at 07:25 AM