Lev Lafayette's journal

Late last year I received a message late in the night by a worried individual, one Wajeeha K. Somebody was pretending to be me on a particular dating application that has a less than salubrious reputation. It is, of course, part of the disadvantage of being a somewhat public person that the would-be stalker in question was able to use my name, find a couple of papers I had written, and claim that they were me. It was also an advantage of being a somewhat public person that the veracity of some of their claims was easily checked and I could be easily contacted. The fake-Lev was saying some particularly strange things that were quite out of character (e.g., "I like brown women", well, I do like some, but not because they're brown), and Wajeeha, being a scholar in the social sciences herself, asked what social theory I was using for my doctoral thesis. The fake-Lev's response, "normal distribution", is hilarious to anyone who knows an inkling of social theory or statistics for that matter. Naturally enough, Wajeeha contacted the police about the would-be stalker who were as helpful as can be expected: "Be careful", they said. Really? One wonders what the results could have been if the pretender had contacted someone with a little less knowledge or investigative skill. Frankly, it's terrifying.

But because a good life enjoys a dash of a positive ironic narrative, Wajeeha and I have become friends. Earlier this week she had the opportunity to meet the real-Lev in person over coffee at the Victoria Markets, followed by a meander through the Flagstaff Gardens. One cannot help but be impressed by how far she has travelled, literally and as a person over the years. From being raised in patriarchal Pakistan, subject to an arranged marriage, coming to Australia, separating from her partner who has "anger management issues" (we know what that means), bringing up two children under sole custody, working, and completing a PhD on the use of performance indicators in local governments (which has just been submitted, congratulations). One can only begin to imagine the difficulties involved in time management, stress, and even a degree of social ostracism from her own community for being a scholar, for being independent, and for standing up for her domestic rights. There are people in this world who have remarkable inner strength and engage in remarkable personal development, and I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to meet them.