Community Kitchen

Yesterday was my first shift at the Monroe County Community Kitchen. Although I didn't get to cook or even prep, it was a very satisfying experience - I put frozen vegetables on trays, made baggies of Nilla Wafers, wiped tables, arranged chairs, cleaned windows, and broke boxes down for recycling. I am hoping that after I have been there for awhile they'll let me move on to peeling potatoes or something, but I'm okay either way, really.

The other volunteers were an interesting mix - a lot of retired people, of course, two guys from a local bank, a Special Ed kid who goes every day with his teacher as a sort of occupational therapy, some totally hardcore dudes with sleeve tattoos and piercings, and an IU student from Taiwan. Everybody was really nice - the Special Ed kid's teacher says that after awhile you get to know everyone and it's just like a big party.

At the risk of being like the hypocrites who hire trumpeters to follow them around when they give alms, I will also mention that yesterday was the first test of my Lenten resolutions: I went out for Chinese with a couple of people after the lecture and although I *wanted* Kung Pao chicken or lo mein, I ordered Mapo Tofu instead. Afterwards, at the departmental party, I wanted a glass of wine, but I had pear juice instead.

I was kind of dressed up for this occasion - it's not every day we give hiring candidates the trial by fire - and as usual I was wearing gloves - my fawn-colored wrist-length ones that I love. The Horse noticed the gloves and said, "The gloves - is that a fashion statement or something else?"

I never know what to say when people ask me this - I wear the gloves to keep from mangling my fingers when I'm nervous or bored, both pretty common states at parties. But although no one wants to know about my disgusting self-injury habit, I find this sort of harmless, helpful lie very difficult. So I said, "Something else."

"I thought so," said the Horse, and Cufflinks piped up, "So you're saying they don't look good?"

I told him not to instigate, and the Horse backed down. It was very uncomfortable. I need to learn how to tell better polite social lies - would it be so bad if people thought I wore gloves just because I like gloves, or because I'm an eccentric dresser rather than an insane finger-mangler?