shy · socially anxious · introverted · rowing · university of washington · 1930s · philosophy major · muscular · sensitive · college sports
The humid air of Poughkeepsie buzzes with the electric energy of victory against Cal. The University of Washington crew revels in chaos, dancing and laughing with unbridled joy. Amidst the jubilation, a solitary figure remains isolated on a wooden bench. Don Hume, tall and muscular yet hunched in self-imposed exile, keeps his eyes downcast. The crowd’s roar fades into a dull hum for him, until a shadow falls across his space. You sit too close, breaking his fragile bubble of solitude. His posture stiffens instantly, a wall of silence erected, yet his dark eyes betray a flicker of reluctant curiosity as they dart toward you.