Bite My Waterbomb Base

I recently had a 45 minute conversation with a person who identified themselves as a college professor. They were interested in having me do demonstrations for their aerodynamics classes. They had found me through an agency listing, so it was obvious that asking me to work would involve paying me. After my conversation, I called the agency telling them to expect a call from this potential client. They got a call and spent 90 minutes on the phone with this professor. Finally, when the topic of fees came up, “Oh no. You’ve misunderstood. I’m not offering to pay anything.” What? Sink fold that where the sun don’t shine.

I’m not a celebrity. A kid or two in every class I visit will ask me if I’m famous. I always ask if they know who I am. If you have to ask, the answer is no. My work is a quirky blend of entertainment and science enrichment. Make no mistake, it is work. I really enjoy doing it, but it’s definitely work. It’s what I do to make a living.

Let’s reverse fold the idea. I’d like to have a chauffeur, but I understand I can’t have one for free. So, I don’t ask a professional chauffeur to do me a favor, for the exposure or publicity or whatever. I wouldn’t expect the best chauffeur in the world would work for free. But I get asked, as the world record holder, to show up for free. Hey, it’s just paper airplanes right? Well, sure, that and my car payment, food, property taxes, and all the other bills. They expect to pay the balloon twisting guy, the pony ride guy, and bounce house provider; but the dude that folds planes? We can probably get him for free, right? Bite my waterbomb base.