Sunday, February 24, 2008

Sputnik Sweetheart

"I drank some cheap wine I'd gotten on sale, mixed with Perrier, and watched a soccer match I'd videotaped. Everytime I saw a pass I thought I wouldn't have done myself, I shook my head and sighed. Judging the mistakes of stranges is an easy thing to do-and it feels pretty good" (76).

Doesn't the narrator just speak the truth here? I couldn't help but laugh knowingly when reading this line. It is so easy to judge another person's mistakes and hypothetically think that you could have done better in the same situation. I have never played soccer a day in my life, yet if I go to see a game I can easily critique someone' s bad pass or wrong move. Being judgmental is a huge hurdle to overcome in social scenes. People compare themselves to their friends, acquaintances, and even figures and standards of the media. It is easy to quickly judge someone else based on a first impression or even someone else's opinion. It is probably my greatest downfall, pre-judging people before I get to know them. I am beginning to find out that my first impression is usually always wrong. I am also starting to realize that the flaw I can usually find in others is a flaw I myself have. It is the whole "pot calling the kettle black" phenomenon. I guess I am learning that what bothers me most about friends and family members is what bothers me most about myself. However, as our narrator points out, it is easier to judge others before ourselves.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I nominate this post for post of the week because it is so true. I think the best moments in books aren't the ones that are symbolic or play into some larger metaphor about the meaning of life, but the ones that we laugh at. I agree and godo job : )