But as my favorite journalism professor once taught us: you’re just a reporter. Get over yourself and get out of the way of the story. It’s not about you.

When talking with someone like Rich, the first impression is that here is a country boy, through and through. Even his big teeth lead to big, sometimes goofy smiles. There is also that discomfort many feel of trying to figure out when and what to say about the contraption he has for an arm. Some people would mistake him for being simple, but he is far from it. He knows exactly all that is going on around him and likes to catch people off guard. He sometimes sticks out his left hand for people to shake, I think just to get them over it.

Yesterday was sunny and the fall festival took up most of the town. Rich was wearing one of his temporary utility arms, the body of most of which was clear, revealing the inside works. In just a t-shirt and shorts, people could see where flesh met mechanics. At the end was a flesh-colored hand that mostly stayed in the open position, except when he was carrying a cup of sweet iced tea. It was noticeable.

(more after the jump)