Why lie?

Hey Jesse, what's the deal with your profile photo? I know you sport a mustache sometimes. Is that really you?
Your Faithful Reader,
R. Kelly

No, that's not me R., but I appreciate the thoughtful question! The mystery man is actually a Canadian newspaper editor named Randy. He lives and works in Newfoundland, an island far, far to the north, seven hours from the nearest land. I almost got a summer reporting job with Randy's small weekly paper a few years ago. I was going to drive all the way up there (20+ hours) in my little Hyundai Sonata with a mattress strapped to the roof. How awesome would that have been? Summer in a little Canadian fishing village, truly near the end of habitation? Meeting all the island people and taking their pictures and writing down what they do every day? To me, that was a dream.

Then the Canadian government said I couldn't have the job because there were qualified Canadians who could do the work.

I bore Canada no ill will for its collective decision to reject me. I was just disappointed.