key, flaky as always

I have a big presentation coming up in about a week (on Valentine's day, no less) and thus have been scrambling like mad to get data collected, analyzed, and into some kind of coherent form. It's interesting to note that when one thing picks up and becomes incredibly busy, others things around me seem to do the same. More interestingly, when I become focused on being productive and efficient at one thing, say research, I get more of other things done, too. It's like the energy of productivity carries over into all aspects of my life, and I become less flaky of a person for a short period of time.

Speaking of flaky, Key is flaky, and I am sick and tired of interactions with him. A day or two after the new year, I sent him an email to say hey and to talk a little bit about my trip to China last October. He had asked me about it a while ago, but I never really mentioned anything, so while sending him a "happy new year" email, I elaborated a bit on that trip.

It took him three weeks to reply. He wrote back last week, and mentioned some things about his mom, his brother, stuff that I had asked questions about in my email to him. I also said that if he's not too busy, I'd like to at least see him once or twice this semester since he's graduating in May and probably leaving Boston. In his response, he mentioned that he had accepted a job offer in DC starting this summer, so yeah dinner sometime would be great -- to really catch up.

After reading that email, I felt really good, really warm and fuzzy inside. I suggested getting together and had nothing more than a coffee or something in mind, but was ecstatic that he would mention our getting dinner some time. I wrote back a day or two later telling him days that I would be free this week for dinner ... and never heard from him again.

This got me thinking about how I was always the one to continually reach out to him. He wouldn't reply for three weeks, and not only do I not get upset, I write him back so enthusiastically and bend over backwards to make time to go to dinner with him (work is so chaotic right now that dinner would really be out of the way for me). But in general, I don't complain because I don't mind, and I regard him high enough to WANT to spend time with him, even if it is a bit inconvenient for me.

However, when he doesn't even think it important enough to warrant a reply (and this is SO typical of him), I have to ask myself what's really even worth it? I'm tired of dealing with this. I don't have to see him; I don't have to care about him. I want to not reply when he emails me back to let me know of his availability ... it's just not worth it anymore. I'm done trying to reach out to him, only to have completely not care and flake out.