it finally happened

Somebody used the word "microaggressions" in casual conversation. 

With a straight face. 

In a totally non-ironic fashion. 

I heard it. 

I was there. 

Up until this point, I'd only ever heard of "microaggressions" in shoddy journalism, never in like a real-life scenario.

Semi-thankfully I was wearing sunglasses so my reaction was half-masked. Well probably more like almost fully obscured. I tend to make exaggerated facial expressions with my eyes more than anything. So aside from a probably audible chuckle, my reaction may have gone unnoticed.

Here in Northwestern Wisconsin, trends tend to arrive a little after they hit in more metropolitan areas. And they might often be more of a caricature of the original idea. And in this situation, well I guess in any situation where one might feel micro-agressed-upon, the high probability of it being a caricature is certainly non-zero, dangerously approaching certainty.

I don't remember the full word-for-word offending conversation here, but it was relating to this chick going for a walk and tripping on the sidewalk and something about racism or the Patriarchy or Whatever.

fitting in is hard

But I'm trying man. It's been tough, but I've managed to include certified Chippewa Valley Normie language in just about every correspondence over the last week and a half and I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Referring to obvious non-sirs as "sir", was probably the first and easiest step to take in this transition. This aspect has been seamless.

After that super easy (shit, the "super"lative!) first step, I graduated to incorporating the ever popular and clearly incorrect usage of "myself" on it's own. Unironically adding it to the gratuitous, "circle back to follow up and loop myself in" phrase was a breeze.

I hate who I am becoming, but to put it simply, it's been liberating.

But shoot man, I am like one plural noun with an apostrophe away from wryly wearing Hey Dude shoe's.

Stay tuned for updates on this journey as I learn to live my current chosen truth.

guess I just never thought people really believed it

I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I'm kinda blown away, but I was recently taken aback by the revelation that people really believe stuff in the bible. 

All my life, I just kinda thought that religious people or people that think they're religious were always like "heh cool", and were just hanging out for the community aspect. Like a "wink, nod" kinda thing among friends. Disclaimer, I spent first through third grade in catholic school.

But it hit me recently, "holy shit, people really believe this". Like, I think there are people that genuinely believe an omnipresent ghost-like super-being created the Earth six thousand years ago and that dudes were fighting dinosaurs. I always just likened it to being similar to how children like cartoons. Can't knock it too hard though cause it was pretty sweet in high school when my friend and I hitched a ride with a church group to go see MxPx in scuzzy bar in Milwaukee. Punk rock, man.

It's not like those of us that don't believe that stuff don't actually see any value in religion. The community aspect is definitely there. There's some pretty reasonable but often ignored morals that humanity needs. It's convenient to explain away things that are hard to understand; I guess that's a way to live or whatever.

Even modern religions like diversity & trans fetishism and then like the whole anti-vaxxing/anti-masking doctrines are really similar. It's just a community of people that actively choose to believe things that simply aren't real. 

But yeah, again, I can see the appeal or comfort in following these kinds of myths.