Travis, P.I.
posted at 7:29 pm
on Mar. 7, 2006
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I told a woman today at lunch that if I had to switch careers, I’d probably considering working as a private detective.
I was mostly joking, but there’s something about the idea of that job that is fascinating to me, like a shiny reflection in a store window that catches your eye.
I am good at finding out facts about people, places and things, and at being creative about ways to get people to talk to me. Heck, that describes 60% of being a journalist right there.
On the other hand, I think it requires a level of cynicism, skepticism and detachment that I don’t have. I’m also extremely bad at figuring out what people’s underlying motives are. That’s been a problem for me ever since high school, which is the time that people first figure out how to hide their motives. Before that, you’re just kids who think they’re being sly but really they’re just being cute.
I’m probably being influenced by the recent collection of detective novels I’ve read, about such greats as Lew Archer and Travis McGee. Except for getting the snot beat out of them, it sounds like they have a fabulous lifestyle.
In any case, I don’t think she believed me, nor do I really believe it myself. But it was good conversation to have over moules frites on a sunny day in L.A.
Keywords: career • detective • investigator • moules frites • private detective
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Adventures in Banff
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L.A., Behind Me
