Who do I still think I am??

This one's about roads, comments, and veggies.

30DBC PROMPT: "Is it ever better to take the low road over the high road? Why or why not?", courtesy of Charlie ~ .

Good afternoon y'all! Nice to see all you good people on a lovely Tuesday...we've got some great prompts, so let's tear right into them, shall we?

The low road or the high road...I guess it depends on how well they're paved and what you're travelling in or with. Personally, I like the high road. It's safer and usually leads to better karma. But the low road is always more adventurous, especially when the pot is ripe for shit-stirring and you desperately need to make a point that can lead to the ultimate high road...validation.

There's no greater feeling in certain situations than knowing you're right. It sometimes takes awhile to get there, and you might lose people along the way, but in that moment there isn't a better joy than when you've swayed someone toward your opinion instead of their flawed logic. It's ugly, for sure, and the tires go flat at seemingly the worst times, but the reward is so much more appealing than just coasting along on auto-pilot, pretending there aren't dissenters or disasters.

The key is perseverance. If you let someone else rattle you, you're sunk. Being able to withstand arguments over your position, preferably with a smile or a smirk, is tantamount when going the low road. Sometimes you have to eat the shit you're stirring- it happens- but in order to dish it you have to know how to take it as well.

Politics and religion. Two topics that are often debated, sometimes righteously and often vigorously. You can take the high road and change the subject, but you know deep inside there will always be lingering questions, whether they're about your character or the person you're engaging. There's nothing wrong about standing up for your beliefs, especially when you can back it up with facts. For example: If I learned anything from Pop Diesel when I was younger, there's a healthy dose of hypocrisy in most all organized religions. But twenty-some years later, when he needed a job, the local Catholic church kitty-corner from our house took him on as a handyman. He had to put pride and opinion aside because he had to make a few bucks. Smart move, or sellout? Depends on which way your road is headed.

Me? I defer to the high road at all times possible now. I have no need for drama or misguided (and often unnecessary) anger. But fuck with me the wrong way, and I'll have no problem runnin' with you through the mud...no matter how low your road goes, I know where the way up is.

BCF PROMPT: "Have commenters about your blog post ever made you change your mind or helped you make a decision? Tell us about that time."

I'd like to think not, as I'm pretty solid in my beliefs and I trust in what I write, even when I'm lacking in self-confidence. It takes a lot these days to sway my thinking. My ways are set. But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my first attempt at blogging, over at "I'm Studying You" . I'd detailed my experiences courting a beautiful woman; one I'd end up dating for three and a half years. Were it not for WDC members like Noe, Lisa, Hailey, Kare, Gaby, Ashley, Julie, Zack, and others, I might not have had the confidence to push my desires into action. That's proof positive that readers can make a difference in your life...if you let them.

I think now we're in a sort of lull...anyone can write a couple of sentences and call it a "blog", and suddenly it's the greatest thing ev-arhh. The talent pool is being diluted. Great writing isn't just the expression of opinions; the concrete standard of why plus the back-and-forth that comes with it should be the norm in a still-burgeoning artform.

Sharing and engaging is a very important thing. Writers write because (I believe) it's a safe way of getting attention. It's control when we lack other ways of attaining it. We're free and able to express ourselves, and we decide what we want to address.

A comment like "Nice entry!" doesn't change my mind about anything. But show me you're interested in a topic I broached...then I'll be more than happy to engage you. I try to do that and keep it in mind when I'm reading blogs and making comments.

But back to the matter at hand...today? No. I'm not so sure that someone's gonna come along having read this entry and will say something that will change my mind, my life, or anything else. As open as I am to all sorts of entanglements, I'm still very set in certain ways. Shock me and prove me wrong.

MUSICAL BREAK!!

I know I've shared this video a gang of times, but it's relevant and for some reason the song's been lodged in my head since I woke up this morning.

Real blogging, seated in reality,
is like driving a burning clown car.

THE DAILY BOX SCORE:

"Today is 'National Eat Your Vegetables Day' in the United States, but everyone can play. What is your favorite veggie and your least favorite veggie?"

I did manage this morning to make my way down to the local farmer's market in town, where I purchased a bag of locally-grown lettuce for $2. And that's a big deal because I can go to the big chain monolith and buy a head of lettuce for the same price and watch half of it rot in my fridge. I'll take a ziplock bag full of locally-grown, pre-torn lettuce leaves any day over the alternatives.

I've been on a kick lately where I've been making wraps...deli meat (Sahlen's turkey, ham, and chicken  ) with Cooper cheese  , and canned diced tomatoes with green chiles drizzled with horseradish mayo. It's been fantastic on the taste buds and forgiving on my ever-widening hips. But I'm having a hard time with the spinach tortillas...how do you know when they're "bad" (as in "not consumable")? They're green from the start, with flecks of greener green. I know what moldy looks like, but them wraps caused me a double-take before I went with "Fuck it, I'm hungry." So much better than canned pseudo-happiness food.

Can't lie though...beets were a thing when we went to Sunday dinner at my grandmother's house. Canned. In a purple sauce. I might've liked them, but I also might've only been playing nice and respectable toward hot food. I can't imagine ever buying canned beets for myself on a whim.

Mashed turnips were another staple of Gramma's cooking. Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without that.

But yo...brussel sprouts are the jam. Boil 'em, and fry them up with butter and bread crumbs. Same with cauliflower. That's the joint right there. When a veggie doesn't need a condiment, that's real. There you go.

So I did this last night: "Note: So, I have this blog, right? It's called [Lin...", and it's a real thing. I want to reward the kind folks who read me. I was at 9825 (views) yesterday, and from there on out I'm offering a chance at a prize package bonanza fiesta to those who comment on my entries going forward. Make a comment-like noise and you'll be entered in the virtual dice sweepstakes. I'm big-smiley proud to thank Elle - on hiatus , Cobe , and Charlie ~ , who've made it possible for me to grand prize you with a Major Shower from "Showering Acts of Joy Group" . Got all that? Liking me is optional...wanting to win cool virtual stuff should be mandatory.

And that's all I have to say. My laptop is screwfacin' me for being on it way too long, and I'm probably due for a nap...so peace, why don't you tell us like it always is, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!