Last Night at a Party

Miss P. has demanded an account of some things.

Last night at a fundraising event for a fine local Ngo that I occasionally move myself to be involved with, an exchange of a kind I sometimes have took place. I was asked what I do for a living, which in the sort of people I tend to meet is typically met with smiles of approval. After all, what urbane progressive type wouldn't be impressed by someone 'involved in bicycle planning' (as I liked to put it these days)?
Knowing more than my fair share of urbanism-activists results sometimes in more than just general approval. Last night I ran across the young J., a true blue urban planning geek of the first water, who positively cooed with delight when he heard just what I get myself up to here at the office.
"Transportation Planning or Transportation Services?", he demanded, pimpled cheeks fairly bubbling with joy. "Oh, it must be a dream job! It must be - to work on your passion and get paid for it!" His little black eyes shone with wonder, his little legs nearly danced a jig of delight.

"Well, it's a good job, I guess" said I, not knowing what else to say. You really can't say anything else. To suddenly be transformed into a Master of the Universe before innocent eyes, all due to your slightly unique position as a low-level government clerk - yet a position on the Inside, firmly Behind Closed Doors of government business. Ooh.

And there are moments of insider excitement I guess. That very day I got to see a presentation on the re-design of Union Station, complete with animated pedestrian flow computer modelling in a CAD mockup of the new designs, and well-shaved senior planners in crisp shirts and good ties talking about 'building porosity' and laser pointering 'pedestrian desire lines' that fanned out in all directions in purple; you could even interrupt with a question here and there if you wanted. I guess young J., still wet enough behind the ears to have achne, would have verrily peed himself with over-excitement.
Oh dear. I am so terrible.