Desert Island, All-Time, Top-Five...

If you know me, whether it be in "real" life, or through my digital footprint, then there is a good chance you know what one of my desert island, all-time, top-five favorite stories (both novel and film) is: High Fidelity.

It is the story of Rob, a record store owner, well versed in pop culture, who ever continually suffers heartache after heartache as the result of his low self credibility and fear of commitment. [At least for me, whenever I hear the term "fear of commitment," I understand the real meaning to be a fear of death, and as far as the great steps in life -the last being death-, marriage (the ultimate commitment) is the last one to check off (and having kids... if you're into that).] When I watch/read High Fidelity, I always feel as though I'm reading a version of my own life - one that includes an "odd couple" pair of friends/employees who are into all the exact stuff I am. I attribute Rob owning his record store, "Championship Vinyl," as a direct influence to me opening Death Ray Comics.

I have always considered myself to have the most impeccable of taste in culture, particularly in music. My lack of self confidence with women has forced my self confidence in cultural knowledge and taste to inflate, to unnatural levels, in an obtuse form of equilibrium. Again, true to High Fidelity, here is piece of the script from the film that reflects my supercilious attitude (especially when you get me together with my friend Soffe).

Louis: I don't have that record... I'll buy it for forty.

Rob: Sold.

Louis: Now why would you sell it to me and not to him?

Barry: Because you're not a geek, Louis.

Louis: You guys are snobs.

Dick: No, we're not.

Louis: Yeah, seriously, you're totally elitist. You feel like the unappreciated scholars, so you shit onto people who know lesser than you.

Rob/Barry/Dick: No!

Louis: Which is everybody...

Rob/Barry/Dick: Yeah...

Louis: That's so sad.

Everything I've written to this point has been in an attempt to earn approval for bragging about the greatest compliment I've ever received:

Today, I spent some time in Ogden, Utah's "Graywhale" record shop. After perusing the store's inventory, I brought my selections to the front counter. While one extremely cute clerk was ringing up my purchases, another clerk said to yet another clerk (that's a total of three clerks: the two checking out my stack, and the cutie ringing me up)," Let's check out his stack."

The second clerk looked at the discs and said, "Wow, this is really good. You've got The Beach Boys and Jedi Mind Tricks and Carl Perkins and New Order?!"

The first clerk chimed in, "I saw Sleater-Kinney too."

To which the second clerk gave me the greatest compliments I have ever received,  "It's like you should be working here."

Well... it's in my all-time, top-five best compliments anyway.