xerkcgarcia

Let’s Talk About the Tiger in the Room

Typically, I will only discuss things that make me laugh. However, silence is assent. So, for once, I will forgo my golden rule and jump right out there by saying: EVERY human on the planet has prejudice. If you just read that statement and said, “not me,” you are a liar. Don’t go yet. Let me explain. Bias is hardwired into our brain, and it is there to keep us safe. It started with our Neanderthal ancestors. If Flintstone saw his buddy mauled by a tiger, going forward, he remembered not to mess with anything that looked like a tiger. Bias is part of humanity; granted, we no longer hunt and gather but that basic brain functioning is still there. It is why first impressions are so vitally important. Our first task is to understand and accept that one simple fact. The second task, which is where our tiger comes in, is to acknowledge the biases you have unconsciously developed, and tell yourself to quit your shit. In nicer terms, and sticking with the first impressions analogy, that equates to looking past your immediate snap judgement and getting to know the person before deciding if you like him/her. Remember, your feelings are not facts, and the facts CLEARLY state that there is a problem we need to address.

Siri and I Are Not Friends

I believe it all began as miscommunication. Phone Siri never understood a word I said. So, I shut her down. I completely ignored her. She was out of my life until someone gifted me a watch. It was the watch that started it all. I suppose some resentment built up over time, because as soon as Siri popped back into my life, the passive aggressiveness began. Now, I am full-on convinced that she is out to get me.

Why We Need a New John Hughes

Pretty In Pink, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller… these movies are iconic. But they are so much more to an 80s kid. The characters in these movies were our influencers. It was acceptable to be the underdog. It was OK to be nerdy, weird, or come from a working class family. I was the epitome of social awkwardness, so as a kid these movies gave me a little hope. My brother as well, but more in a Weird Science kind of way. He kept feeding magazine clippings to our VCR, and there might have been an unmentionable lunch box full of Barbie parts stashed under his bed.

Sibling Rivalry Covid Style

Hundreds of people are stuck at home with kids who are absolutely over spending time with each other. Are your kids fighting? Don’t know what to do about it? Here is a thought – why do you have to do anything at all?The reasoning behind my thought is simple. Xers were the original latchkey kids, and our “rivalry” was epic. Nothing your kids are going to do to each other under supervision is ever going to compare to what we did to each other sans-parentals.

I Think I Can Make That- A celebration of moms

If you are a creative mom, you have my respect. I am fully aware of my domestic limitations; I can’t mend, craft, cut, sew, or create anything at all. I mean, I try, but everything winds up looking like a 4-year-old got cranked up on sugar and whipped it out during nap-time.

Is This Real Life?

Have you ever heard of The Truman Show? It was a movie from 1998 about a man who was the star of a live TV show, but he had absolutely no clue that his life was scripted and everyone around him was an actor. I mention this movie because I am starting to legitimately wonder, am I Truwoman? Seriously, think about this. First, it was a virus that shut down the whole world, then UFOs, then murder hornets, then a monkey on a motorcycle trying to kidnap a baby, and NOW we have mutating world virus!? This can’t be real life. Are my ratings bad? Did my writers quit and two random guys from a dispensary in LA take over? I think about this everyday. I have so many questions….

Scraped Knees and Near Death Experiences

Anyone who grew up during the 70s-80s had a full-on childhood. There were no adults helicoptering our every move. We were hardcore survivalists. I imagine our guardian angels to be all hard and jaded. The poor newbie guardian angel does not get praised after guiding a 10 year- old down a softened plastic slide, and straight back to his mother who is waiting a few feet away. The newbie angel is met with:

Quarantine – a family story

In the beginning, all was well. I was excited. After all, we are “staying safe” and we have been given an opportunity to truly to reconnect, decompress, and re-set our family. You CAN’T control your circumstances; you CAN control your response.
And then it just kept going.

Cold Trash Wars

There are wars that transpire silently within the walls of our home each week. No one openly acknowledges the battles, but my kitchen is definitely an every-man-for-himself combat zone. One major issue is that there isn’t a single man, woman, or child in this house that will admit it is time to take out the trash.

Love For All Things Food

I love food. To be clear, I don’t like to cook; I just love to eat. The problem is that food and I have a tumultuous relationship. I’m simply not attracted to “good” food.I love cheesy Italian food, or spicy Latino. I love “bad” food. The kind your doctor warns you about. When I was younger, I could food it up all night and all day. Unfortunately, I’m not so young anymore. I can’t keep up.