Celebrate our Differences
I hate tattoos, so much so that when I see Lizbeth who sports her tramp-stamps proudly on the small of her back and on her ankle that I want to come after her with a some sort of magic eraser. Lots of people have tattoos in fact my unmarked skin is an ever rarity in a society that inks themselves as a right of passage, an intentional re-birth mark. My neighbor who has perhaps the best body of any woman I’ve met recently has skin the color of Hershey Kiss, perfect in every way save the tattoo across her taut belly that reads ‘Boomie’, a nickname from childhood. I was raised by people who taught me that only white trash get tattoos and it’s been challenging for me to love the person (an in the instance of Lizbeth and Neighborcop, I do) and still hate the tat.
Crocs at the Courtbridge
Another loathsome thing are Crocs which seem so OBVIOUSLY ugly to me that I can’t believe that the company ever sold a single pair. I’ve blogged about this in the past so you can imagine my reaction when Neighborcop and the Poolshark were trying to sell me on their new pairs; Mary Janes for her “but the one strap hurts my feet” and the golf shoe “fewer holes” for him. They are trying to get pregnant and I’m doing what I can to help them without seeming perve- y. My best hope for their new Crocs is a teenager who will poke fun of them mercilessly 10 or 15 years from now.
Hey, I had a pair of purple Nikes when I was in 7th grade.
What these two things have in common is that I am relentlessly self-righteous on both to the point where it’s somewhat surprising that I have any friends at all. Bigger in scope perhaps is that each of us has a unique way of living our life that by very definition of being “our way” quickly becomes the de-facto “best way”.
I don’t think I’m unique here- I challenge anyone reading this to think of the thing that you have a unwavering belief that when closely examined is nothing more than a strong personal preference and not carved in stone since the beginning of time as are my feelings about tattoos and Crocs.
…and those are just the two that I’m willing to own up to publically at some cost.
Annapolis admits to being something of a New England snob, believing intrinsically that people who are from or live in New England are better than the rest of us. Bug’s mother-in-law doesn’t see the harm in leaving a pound of bacon open and uncovered in the refrigerator that they share. Mr. Wii thinks that Southwest in the be-all-end-all in airlines. I would pay triple the cost of a flight just to avoid Southwest so great is my dislike.
And what about Obama vs. McCain? As my dislike for Obama grows, I can’t get my arms wrapped around why anyone would vote for him. I’m aware that there are just as many people who find my voting for McCain as mysterious as the lost sock in the dryer.
So celebrate our differences. I’m going to get that on a t-shirt.
The header on the site is messed up; working to correct.
Glad you still love us, despite our tattoos and crocs! Will you still let us take care of your “child” from time to time?
Oh and hey! The night we made you put up with our crocs and tats, is the same night that we FED you! Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!
Great minds think alike.
I think we will have to celebrate the fact that I still like to consume animals and you wisely avoid them at the KFC Buffet.
Would a tatoo of crocs send you over the edge?
This is one of the most interesting of your blogs. My immediate reaction was to list all of the things that drive me crazy — because, as you said, “our way” becomes the “best way.” For example, why on earth do people say “on accident” when they mean to say “by accident?” And how difficult is it to say “where is it?” rather than “where is it at?”? Why are there still idiots who litter??? Or don’t recycle (it’s so damn easy!)? Or decide they don’t want something in the grocery store and so leave the ice cream container to melt in the cookie section where they happen to be when they make that oh-so-important decision to not buy? How can 20% of people surveyed believe the Holocaust never occurred? Do they think those photos are of a huge group of emaciated models?!?!?!? I could go on and on about all the things that I think are nasty (sorry, Lizbeth, but tramp stamps rank right up there). Besides all the little things I have mentioned, there’s racism, elitism, cruelty to animals and a vast host of attributes I just cannot begin to fathom. Am I wrong to feel this way? Do I let my own prejudices color my views of others? Are my values skewed? Somehow, I think not (although there’s room for doubt regarding the minor “on accident” faux pas). I find there is nothing more disturbing than clicking on a story on aol.com and then reading the posted comments. Unbelievable! Are there really people like that out there?!?!? How incredibly frightening for the future of America. No wonder George Bush was elected President. So sad . . .
My thoughts on Obama:
Barack Obama is best qualified to lead American back to a srong and prosperous middle class and the respect of our allies.
Obama had a humble start but has managed to acquire a superior education and has demonstrated the ability to “bring people together.” He passed up a high-paying Wall Street job to help people in poor neighborhoods in Chicago. He has since earned a significant amount from his books.
He graduated with honors from Columbia University and went on to graduate summa cum laude from Harvard Law School. He was the first African-American to be elected president of the Harvard Law Review. He taught U.S. constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years. Like Bill Clinton, he qualifies as smart.
Obama’s messages to the American people are insightful, well-reasoned and articulate — something that no reasonable voter would or could say for John McCain.