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Hey Opera, let it go
Jul. 12th, 2007 11:22 pmSo today I had one of those weird two-random-happenings-suddenly-explain-something-entirely-else moments.
Random happening 1: I had been poking around the 'net, reading up on "Minnesota Nice". One of the points stressed is that Minnesotans offer things*. We are generous. We do favors, we buy drinks, we volunteer to help.
Random happening 2: A co-worker is having car troubles, and mentioned those troubles at work. Because he lives very close to me, I offered rides to and from work, if he needed any. Other co-worker offered "I'm heading out to the Target by your our tonight, I can bring you home if you need a ride." Others offered ride-alongs to lunch places over the week.
Now, RH2 stuck with me because of what I had been reading. It's always sort of unsettling to see social habits exposed. We really are just mice chasing cheese bits in a maze. But it also re-triggered that Sabin-can't-get-a-ride-and-*had*-to-walk-in-the-rain wank I had a few months back.
I wonder now how much of my This-is-so-wrong reaction was due to Michigan!Sabin, Georgia!Styles, VariousOtherPlaces!Everybody else, and Canada!author not following Opera's socialization. Like, I still think the characterization was awful-- I like believing Chris Sabin has the necessary brain power to get himself a ride when things go slightly haywire, but how much of my disgust at Sabin's inability to get a ride stemmed from my little worldview that rides and offers for rides are plentiful and easy to obtain. And, I wonder if my world's plentiful ride supply didn't downplay (for me) Aj's grand romantic gesture of giving a ride.
It's always interesting to get reminded that the world's a varied place.
*the flipside of that being, 50% of the time the offeree is supposed to refuse the offer to avoid seeming "A taker, never a giver". This giving without expectation of actually have to give has lead to the label of Minnesota Not-So Nice
Random happening 1: I had been poking around the 'net, reading up on "Minnesota Nice". One of the points stressed is that Minnesotans offer things*. We are generous. We do favors, we buy drinks, we volunteer to help.
Random happening 2: A co-worker is having car troubles, and mentioned those troubles at work. Because he lives very close to me, I offered rides to and from work, if he needed any. Other co-worker offered "I'm heading out to the Target by your our tonight, I can bring you home if you need a ride." Others offered ride-alongs to lunch places over the week.
Now, RH2 stuck with me because of what I had been reading. It's always sort of unsettling to see social habits exposed. We really are just mice chasing cheese bits in a maze. But it also re-triggered that Sabin-can't-get-a-ride-and-*had*-to-walk-in-the-rain wank I had a few months back.
I wonder now how much of my This-is-so-wrong reaction was due to Michigan!Sabin, Georgia!Styles, VariousOtherPlaces!Everybody else, and Canada!author not following Opera's socialization. Like, I still think the characterization was awful-- I like believing Chris Sabin has the necessary brain power to get himself a ride when things go slightly haywire, but how much of my disgust at Sabin's inability to get a ride stemmed from my little worldview that rides and offers for rides are plentiful and easy to obtain. And, I wonder if my world's plentiful ride supply didn't downplay (for me) Aj's grand romantic gesture of giving a ride.
It's always interesting to get reminded that the world's a varied place.
*the flipside of that being, 50% of the time the offeree is supposed to refuse the offer to avoid seeming "A taker, never a giver". This giving without expectation of actually have to give has lead to the label of Minnesota Not-So Nice
