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In a World Obsessed With Ideas, I Found a Real-Life Miracle
What bucking social norms did for me
The idea of life is, in fact, much more powerful to people than just life itself. — Basil Twist, artist
I got to the wine bar early to beat the crowd I hung out with and snag a coveted barstool. Looking back, it was unacknowledged loneliness that drove me there more than any desire to party.
A friend of a friend, I’ll call him Richard, slid onto the barstool next to me. At first, I was glad for the company. But Richard always seemed to give me side-eye and sneers whenever we crossed paths, though I couldn’t figure out why because we barely knew each other. The bar was nearly empty — he could’ve sat anywhere else if he didn’t like me.
I took a sip of wine, braced myself, and asked, “What do you have against me?”
“Every sentence of yours is declarative. It’s awful. Who do you think you are?” His voice was sharp.
Wow! He didn’t know me, so why be so mean? But I tried to understand his point of view anyway, because, what if he was right?
That night stuck with me in a way I couldn’t shake. From that moment forward, I faltered, developing a stutter-like tic that lingered for years just so I wouldn’t sound too sure of myself. Maybe if I…
