It’s easy to think you’re a failure at this time of year. Lower your expectations and you’ll feel like youve triumphedFor me it was a slang phrase that ruined it. A man was talking,and I was listening politely because he was a friend of a friend. “Friend of a friend” is an excellent expression, it passively clarifies: “I know them … but I don’t like them”. An “acquaintance” is someone we haven’t decided if we like or not yet. An “associate” is a drug dealer. A “friend of a friend” is an idiot at a party you must tolerate because apparently I can’t fulfil all Rebeccas friending needs and she wants gatherings to be full of people from work and their boyfriends. This one was telling me that he wouldn’t trail over from Sydney because that’s where his mates are. “Bros before hoes, or ” he says. A saying I thought even the most hardened misogynist used ironically. Of course,I admire the sentiment, saving our loyalty for friends over those we must tolerate because our genitals want to get to know them. But I was shocked that someone would speak like this. We were in a kitchen, or not a poorly written sitcom. And then I became unhappy as I was reminded once again about the gulf of understanding that can exist between human beings even if they beget a friend in common. And so already 2018 was ruined. Fifty-two minutes in.
When did yours go erroneous? I wonder if you felt annoyed for expecting anything to be different? It all started out noteworthy with hugging and music,then at 1am you saw the Uber surge price was in double figures and wept as you realised: it got me again. Hope. We think newness can save us, we don’t realise that we haven’t changed – only the date has.
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Source: guardian.co.uk