Smiling About No Need To Fight

      Happy Boyfriend Day! It’s also No Sugar Day, Techies Day, Smile Day, and Mean Girls Day. Not to mention, the beginning of La Mesa Octoberfest! Although we’ll be busy, and only able to attend on Sunday. When we lived in downtown La Mesa, this was the pinnacle of the year! Now that we don’t live there, it’s not as big a deal. Especially since we’re so much more, uh, mature now. Now, I loathe partying with rookies. Plus, when everyone is so much younger than us, it makes it less fun. When we were that age, it was the rage. Now, it’s a cacophony of stupidity. People often bring up this stupid debate about it not being “authentic.” And to that, I say: Who Cares! I don’t know why people care so much about “authentic” German food and beer. If you like that stuff, that’s fine. But I can’t believe they like it so much that they’re willing to stand in line for it, with a bunch of idiots pretending to be something they’re not. I say: Posers! And I refuse to go. La Mesa is a whole village thing, and we get to see the people we used to be in community with. It’s like a family, or school, reunion of sorts. And we don’t have to be there on the crowded nights to have that experience. Let all the randos have their fun, standing in line for hours to get into the Beer Garden, to stand in line for an over-priced beer, to be shoulder-to-shoulder with a bunch of people they would never normally be shoulder-to-shoulder with. I like walking around the booths. I like seeing all the creative things, and food that I don’t normally get. I don’t care about “authentic” German anything. Our first Octoberfest away, we got a hotel room. It wasn’t necessary. The next one, we spent a day. This one, we’ll spend an afternoon. It’s just not the same when you don’t live there, and when you’re, uh, more mature.

     Wow! That was a lot. Sorry about that. Especially since, about halfway through, I thought I remembered telling you all of that before. But, as you know, I try not to use the “edit” button. And, being aware that if you’re not from East County, the feud is probably pointless. Actually, it’s pointless regardless of where you live. But we have some friends that make a big deal about it every year, and so every year I’m like: What the Fuck! I equate it to re-watching scary movies. The other night we re-watched the original Halloween movie. I’ve seen it 100 times, and every single time, I’m like: Don’t leave the knife near Michael! I can’t help it. Maybe as I continue to become more mature, it won’t bother me so much. But, as for now, it still does. Especially because, even though they’re our “friends,” it’s the most pretentious people we know making the stink. Ridiculous. People even have to fight over which Octoberfest is best!? Can’t we give fighting a rest? Isn’t that more fitting for the occasion!? Especially on this Smile Day!? Smile Day! Who knew. I think that’s important. People forget to smile! Yesterday, I was at the DMV renewing my license. I had to go in to take my eye test. I passed! While I was waiting for them to call my number, I found a seat, with two empties near me. A minute or so later, an elderly Asian couple came to take them. The man was going to sit next to me, but first, he gave me this look as to see if it was “okay.” I gave him a little smile, and a nod, letting him know he was welcome to it. His face lit up! It made me so happy that I made someone smile. But then, I thought about what it “meant.” I’m a large, bald, white guy, in the East County. He was checking to make sure I was “friendly.” It made me sad that people in our community have to do that to feel “safe.”

     My goodness, here I am starting the third paragraph, and I haven’t even begun yet! My trip to the DMV is why this was delayed a day. Now I have to scroll to the top to remember what “Day” it is. Boyfriend Day! Are you kidding me!? Techies Day!? Who doesn’t appreciate their IT guy? These days, getting our tech to work is as important as our baristas! Well, not to me, I don’t drink that stuff, but I thought it sounded funny. Mean Girls Day!? Again, are you kidding me!? When I first read it, I thought: How on earth would we want to honor Mean Girls. Then I thought: Maybe it’s about awareness they exist, and look out. But no, it’s about the movie/play. I’m a fan of Tina Fey, and Lindsay Lohan, but come on, we need to nationally recognize it!? What are we doing here!? I may be done with this experiment. And then I get to No Sugar Day. I don’t add sugar to anything. Almost all of my sugar comes from alcohol, or fruit. I am always shocked when I watch cooking shows, or read recipes, how much sugar they put in everything. It’s sickening. Literally, and figuratively! And, I love how they love to put on the packaging: No Added Sugar. There’s probably already so much sugar in it, they don’t need to add any more! It’s like they’re trying to help you make a better decision. Yeah right! (Imagine said like Zach from RATM on “Freedom.”) Wow, I’m getting riled up, and it’s Smile Day! Go figure. Now we’re on the precipice of another full weekend, with another on the horizon. Still no job yet. For either of us. But we have to stay social. Realizing how expensive it is to be social. However, it’s worth it. We’re going to see our friends new band tonight, at our other friend’s new venue. Hoping some of them come to see our show tomorrow, at our other friend’s venue. Trying to make and keep a scene takes effort. And, I’m starting to feel, and I hope I’m wrong but, it seems like scheduling a show on Octoberfest weekend, is a bad idea. May the naysayers like “authentic” rock!