Spencer Reid’s Blog

“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”

-Albert Einstein

I’m not entirely sure why I’m doing this. My friend Garcia says I need a hobby that doesn’t involve chasing serial killers or collecting 18th-century medical journals. So here we are.

This is a space for thoughts I have when I should be sleeping, books I’m reading for the fourth time, and the occasional photo of my desk looking like an explosion at a paper factory.

Apologies for the temporary blog silence. Things are hectic, schedules are full, and I’ve eaten…an unreasonable amount of vending machine pretzels. Hopefully I’ll be back to yelling about books and socks and 18th century composers very soon.

In the meantime, if anything strange or oddly beautiful happened to you today, please tell me. I need to live vicariously through calmer lives.

Yes actually!! I think I’ve finally settled on Pierrot this year, like the sad little French clown from commedia dell’arte. He first appeared in the late 17th century and became this symbol of unrequited love and poetic melancholy (which I think is very in theme for me lately). He’s usually depicted in loose white clothing with a ruffled collar and tear streaked face paint, and he’s painfully earnest.

I have…a lot of feelings about Pierrot.

Since I was recently at the cinema for the new Chopin film, and because the Chopin Competition is happening right now your request for trivia comes at a suspiciously perfect time.

So here’s a Chopin fact. He hated performing in big venues. Actively avoided them. He played fewer than 30 public concerts in his whole life. Preferred dimly lit salons, small audiences, and apparently, intense emotional suffering (but maybe that part’s just me projecting).

That’s a lot of responsibility to suddenly find out I have. I think? I’m flattered, slightly alarmed, but mostly curious about what situations are making you think of me.

For the record, I do like reacting to things so if there’s something specific I should weigh in on, please let me know. I can provide confusion, concern, or unsolicited trivia on command.

Hello! Oh, Halloween. I actually get a little too excited about Halloween every year. I think my favorite part is the general suspension of disbelief. It's this one time of year where everyone agrees to lean into the weird and the uncanny.

You can walk around dressed as a ghost and no one asks questions. That's incredible.

I also love the history of it, how it's this strange blend of Samhain traditions, Christian holidays, harvest rituals, and pop culture. It's fascinating!!!

Also...candy! And little kids in dinosaur costumes. And the crisp weather. And the decorations. And people embracing their inner oddness. I could go on but I'll stop myself here.

There is soup. There is tea. There is cake that I’m pretty sure was baked out of pity. I’ve been banned from blowing out candles.

Anyway, thanks. I’m genuinely very touched (not physically. Again, sick).

Every time I try to stand up, I immediately regret it. I think this might be the end. Please remember me fondly, preferably wrapped in a blanket and surrounded by empty tea mugs.

Belle. She reads constantly, values curiosity over appearances, and somehow manages to fall in love with someone based on shared intellectual connection. I respect that.

Also, she reads while walking, which is either brave or foolish, probably both.

Only when I’m tired, directionless, metaphorically blowing into traffic, and wondering how I ended up here. So…yes. Frequently.

No pressure though. I hope you're alright.

You’re right, I did say that. And then, predictably, life spiraled into what can only be described as an obstacle course designed specifically to derail me. I promise I didn’t mean to vanish, I kept thinking, „I’ll post tonight, after I finish this one thing,” and then suddenly it was a week later and I was buried under books, case files, and my own sleep schedule (or lack thereof).

So, yes, apologies. I’m alright, just not particularly skilled at time management outside of work.

Also if there are specific things you’d like me to post about, I’d honestly be grateful to know. Sometimes I sit here staring at the screen with no idea what anyone might actually want to read.

Today was busy and stressful, but I’m finally home. I found myself thinking about how people often say they’re not the same person they were “a year ago.” I don’t really feel that way. Even when I was a kid, I still felt like me. My opinions have shifted, of course, but my perspective has always been mine. I’m not sure if this makes sense, but it’s comforting to know I’ll always be myself.

Yes, we share hotel rooms sometimes. Right now I’m with Garcia. Her version of winding down is narrating every detail of the day like it’s a podcast. Mine is sitting in absolute silence like a victorian ghost. Somehow it balances out, she’s still the most calming person to be around, even when she’s talking enough for both of us.