I really dislike it how some people react when finding out that you’ve never tried/heard of something. Say you’ve never tried a certain food, or seen a certain movie, or heard of a band. Like you never heard of Smashmouth, or the Baha Men. Or like….Chumbawamba. Ok, maybe that last one is a bad example. And I don’t know why I thought of only 90’s bands with popular songs. How about Joey Lawrence? Say you’ve never heard of Joey Lawrence. Some people will respond with a “YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF JOEY LAWRENCE?!! ARE YOU KIDDING??!!!” Like they are angry that you don’t know who Joey Lawrence is. Come on, man. Relax. Are you honestly offended that I haven’t heard of him? My answer does not warrant that kind of response. I just think, “At one point, you had no idea who Joey Lawrence was either. Don’t act like you and Joseph grew up together and now you have this personal bond where you can get mad at me because I don’t know him. Joey Lawrence is not an necessary part of my life. What if I never had a tv or a radio growing up? I don’t recall Mr. Lawrence ever being on the front page of the New York Times. He’s on the front page of like Seventeen and…Tiger Beat. That’s it. That’s the second time I’ve referenced Tiger Beat in one of my blogs. I don’t read it, I just think it’s a cool name. I want to use it as like a slang word.
“I heard that beat the other day.”
“O yea, which one?”
“That Tiger Beat.”
How awesome is that? But what are followers of Tiger Beats called? Tiger Beaters. I don’t know if I want to be known as a Tiger Beater. I don’t think I want to be a beater of anything. Eggs. Wives. Meat. Wait, I think you pound meat. I don’t think I want to be a pounder, either….
But I digest…
What I’m saying is, everyone learns things at different times. I never saw Titanic until I was 20. Does that make me a bad person because everyone else saw it when they were like 16? I don’t think so. I’m just a little late. Not everyone has heard of Snoop Dogg or tried a Pazookie. It’s not a crime.
The reason I titled this post the way I did, is because I want to encourage people to try and learn about new things. Some people don’t know about things because they aren’t receptive to it. They just don’t want to learn about it. A lot of people just get comfortable with who they are and what their environment is around them. Some things just need some time. Give rap music a chance. Give country music a chance. You never know what you might end up liking. I grew up listening to country because my mom liked it. So that’s all I knew and that’s all I liked. But it wasn’t until later that I liked rap and rock and classical and jazz and alternative. I never really thought about going out of my comfort zone to see what else was out there. Now, I enjoy all of those. Garth Brooks, Brittany, Bach, Louis Armstrong….Chumbawamba. You have to give yourself the opportunity to listen to those. If you go into an experience with a negative mindset, then of course it’s going to go negatively. Go into new things with an open mind.
I used to hate trying new things. Especially new foods. Like my mouth was some holy sanctuary and nothing new could enter. Invite only upon approval of smell and looks. You’d have to be VIP or a very good friend of a VIP to enter the forbidden temple that was my mouth. And then I went to China….
I’ve never smelled so many terrible things and seen so many things that looked like they were regurgitated or still half alive. And if I didn’t eat it, I didn’t really get to eat. And I didn’t want to be the guy that always ordered a turkey sandwich. So I just decided to start eating and trying new things. I ended up eating some frog leg, some birds nest soup (look it up if you don’t know what it is. Don’t worry, I won’t get mad at you for not knowing it), shark fin soup, chicken feet, and even some ox testicles. That’s not what I was originally told what they were, but I still took a bite. Those tricky Asians…making me eat balls…
After I got back from China, I decided that I’d keep the same positive attitude of trying new things. Whenever I went out to a restaurant, I tried to order something I had never had. A new sandwich. A new entree. Just something different. I realized that there are entirely too many smells and tastes in this world to not experience. And how awful would it be if I didn’t take full advantage of that. I used to order a Grilled Cheese or quesadilla for lunch everyday during sophomore year of college. I look back and regret that I didn’t try the special entree everyday. I should have taken advantage of the opportunity that I had, and I wasted it by eating things that I could have easily made myself. Now, there is nothing wrong with eating a familiar food every now and then. But that should be like the home you grew up in; revisit it occasionally, enjoy the moment, remember the experiences, but eventually, get back out there. I’m not sure anyone really WANTS to live at home their whole life. Eventually, if we have the opportunity, then we want to try real life on our own. So try real life through food or music or books or trips or whatever it is. Enjoy home, but don’t become a home-body. If God wanted us to sit at home and not experience new things, then he wouldn’t have made so many unique people with unique tastes and personalities. Everyone has experiences that you could learn from. Don’t ignore them because it’s not comfortable. Take it in, assess it, and then file it in the “that’s cool” box or “never again” box. But give it a chance.
I eventually started adding changes in other parts of my life. I change my bed sheets every month (I wash them weekly, but I just put on a different color every month), change my computer wallpaper, change my phone screensaver, ringtone, and message alert. I know these are minor things, but I think it makes a difference. It’s something new that you look at or hear everyday. I’ve started making 2 goals for myself every month too. They aren’t huge goals. Very attainable, but still, something to work for. There’s so many things you can do every week/month to change who you are or re-arrange your point of view.
Don’t stop eating the PB&Js. But don’t be afraid to venture off the beaten path and learn something new. Give yourself a chance.
I guess paths can be beat too. Dead horses, as well?
That’s enough.
Thanks for reading, you dirty Tiger Beaters…
– A Nesting Bird
