Candor Creek

Thanksgiving spread at the pantry. Dear everyone in my homeroom in my high school during the late 90s: I liked food drives, and they were my favorite part of being your homeroom representative my junior year. There were two reasons, however, that I'd make a very large point of asking you to check your food dates and go out and get a few new items - maybe one can each, ones that you might like - rather than getting your parents to clean out the cupboard during our various collections. First, regardless of faith or philosophy, the "do unto others" thing is a central tenant in most of them and, as a Catholic school, this concept was never far from our eyes and ears. Beyond that, I've always believed one should treat others with respect and dignity - waitresses, cashiers, janitors - because it could be you or someone you care about in that situation someday. (What you didn't know is that, before the boxes went to local pantries or families, I sorted every box...

Photo unrelated. Just wanted to show off the pizza I'm eating today. I'm not going to be seeing the Queen biopic. So a good chunk of my 30s has been learning that I don't have to like things just because other people do. I do love to see new things and to learn, and I want to try everything possible, but the concept of just not liking something seemed somehow rude or, at the very least, detrimental to a friendship - because so much of building relationships when you move a lot is trying to seamlessly slip into an environment you clearly weren't made for. It's easier to communicate and build relationships if you appear to enjoy everything the locals do. That's one of the cental tomes of in-group bonding. Thanks, undergrad social psychology. ;) My best example of this is playing video games. Damn near everyone I interact regularly with (yes, I interact) plays video games. Apart from the occasional side scroller or a vintage title or two I have zero drive...