white

James has an ordinary life. Like the fact that everyone calls
him just James. Everyone has always called him James, and
he is almost sure everyone will always call him James, not Jim,
or Jimmy, or Jimbo. Just James. James goes a long time without talking to others. James is not noticed when he walks into a room. James feels normal, everyday normal, driving to work normal, punching in normal, feeling alone normal. These are some of the reasons why James didn’t really feel that bad on the afternoon when he found out that he had AIDS.

In a weird way one of the first feelings he had was of relief. He found out at 1:23 PM (he was looking—moderately disinterestedly—at the clock when the doctor told him), and his normal work day runs until 4:30 PM. James punched back into the time clock at 2:12 PM.

He walked to his work station, following the bold yellow lines painted on the floor which separate the walking/forklift isle from the individual work stations, with something of a smile on his face. When he sat down he noticed through the window in the walk in door that it was sunny outside. Subsequently, he also noticed that the window on the walk in door was the only window in this immense building that he could see from his work station. He didn’t talk to anyone—which in itself was not unusual—but today he actually had something to talk about. He finally had something about himself that was somewhat interesting, something not plainly ordinary.


				Douglas Noble *James (1 of 8)* James has an ordinary life. Like the fact that everyone calls him just James. Everyone has always called him James, and he is almost sure everyone will always call him James, not Jim, or Jimmy, or Jimbo. Just James. James goes a long time without talking to others. James is not noticed when he walks into a room. James feels normal, everyday normal, driving to work normal, punching in normal, feeling alone normal. These are some of the reasons why James didn’t really feel that bad on the afternoon when he found out that he had AIDS. In a weird way one of the first feelings he had was of relief. He found out at 1:23 PM (he was looking—moderately disinterestedly—at the clock when the doctor told him), and his normal work day runs until 4:30 PM. James punched back into the time clock at 2:12 PM. He walked to his work station, following the bold yellow lines painted on the floor which separate the walking/forklift isle from the individual work stations, with something of a smile on his face. When he sat down he noticed through the window in the walk in door that it was sunny outside. Subsequently, he also noticed that the window on the walk in door was the only window in this immense building that he could see from his work station. He didn’t talk to anyone—which in itself was not unusual—but today he actually had something to talk about. He finally had something about himself that was somewhat interesting, something not plainly ordinary.







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