Introspection

This is probably the most difficult prompt I have ever had to respond to simply because it assumes I have flaws that need correcting. Naturally, the concept of possessing a defective personality is highly unlikely— but since I need to write about something, the word stubborn comes to mind. There have been times when people have inaccurately tried to label me with that moniker. Here are a few examples from my childhood.

My parents were ardent Roman Catholics, which meant that every Friday fish was the main meal of the day. I have never liked the taste of fish, and even to this day if it breathes water, I won’t eat it. There was many a Friday I would be sent from the table listening to my father exclaim to my mother, “That kid is so stubborn.” Turns out the only reason for the edict to eat fish on Friday was to support the fishing industry and it really wasn’t a sin to substitute bacon for fish after all. I was vindicated.

Another thing I have always had an aversion to is tobacco smoke of any kind. Both my parents were smokers. I would sit in the back of our 1949 Willies sedan and shout, “unroll the windows” as soon as they lit up. Today everyone knows about the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. Once again, not stubborn just ahead of my time.

Fast forward to the present. It’s been said that as we get older, we are reluctant to change. The term “set in your ways” is often bandied about. If I was truly stubborn, I would still use a rotary dial phone, write this piece on a typewriter, and certainly not attend a Zoom meeting.

So, even though my wife will from time to time tell me I’m just being stubborn— I’m really not. I’m just waiting for the world to catch up with my point of view. It really is a challenge being right all the time.