61: I don't like when people call me ma'am
This post from Girl Insides was a reminder that writing small can still be writing with meaning. It came up in my Substack Reads, and I loved it. So I copied it shamelessly and did my best to be a positive self.
But I’m not an overly positive person and felt it appropriate to do another post with the opposing sentiment. I think in some ways you can learn more about a person through their dislikes. Sometimes when we speak of our likes, they are aspirational rather than real. I like getting to know someone based on the grit they want off their shoes rather than the fluffy clouds that cradle their dreams.
I don’t like when the menu says bread, but I receive toast. I don’t like when I’ve reached the last bite. I don’t like the feel of sand between my toes. I don’t like French manicures. I don’t like having to get up before 9 10 a.m. I don’t like rainfall shower heads. I don’t like the backlash against bell peppers. I don’t like a 10- or 12-inch pizza cut in eight slices. I don’t like when I can’t move my seat closer to the dining table. I don’t like anything but my head to be massaged. I don’t like talking on the phone. I don’t like eating at a movie theatre. I don’t like driving. I don’t like group exercise.
I don’t like thin, crispy cookies. I don’t like lemon desserts. I don’t like wearing socks. I don’t like the smell of rain. I don’t like using museum audio guides. I don’t like Valentine’s Day. I don’t like fresh flowers in my home. I don’t like camping. I don’t like drinking ice water. I don’t like lash extensions. I don’t like middle parts. I don’t like playing board games. I don’t like the feel of compostable wooden cutlery in my mouth. I don’t like noticing air conditioning. I don’t like noticing incorrect dining etiquette of people I’m at a table with. I don’t like taking care of myself. I don’t like hotel rooms without a bathtub. I don’t like writing in blue ink. I don’t like parties. I don’t like cooking with gas. I don’t like the smell of fresh cut grass. I don’t like going first. I don’t like sharing (things). I don’t like when sharing (personal details) is not reciprocated. I don’t like receiving gifts. I don’t like wearing costumes. I don’t like tunnels. I don’t like red as a car colour. I don’t like that I was raised to believe that doing well in school would be a yellow brick road to happiness. I don’t like rewarding students extrinsically. I don’t like snacking. I don’t like thinking about all the different processes that are going on in my body right now. I don’t like temperature contrasts within a single dish. I don’t like king-sized beds. I don’t like musicals. I don’t like eating ice cream from a cup. I don’t like Canada.