A Lesson in Humility (again).

I want to introduce you all to an excellent blog and pod cast, both by MacPhilly.
blog: Metroman
Pod Cast: MacNation: Almost Live! (formally: MacPhilly: Almost Live!) Subscribe via iTunes.

Both brought to you by MacPhilly. Like CyberGal, MacPhilly is multi-faciseted, humorous and very smart. His creativity lies in bringing something entirely new into the world. My creativity lies in taking something already in the world and discovering its limits. When I meet people from the East Coast, we all know the rules of this game and I intuitively understand the clues involved in who is King of the Mountain. I've been in California too long. Here, my natural tendency to push people - to see what they are made of causes an immediate submissive gesture. I've had to learn the hard way, that California ain't anything like New York. I also forget that a man doesn't take challenge the same way most women do. At the beginning of this blog, I mentioned personal growth and regression... I took a few steps back to re-visit that wonderful lesson called HUMILITY! (again.)

I've only met one other person willing to stand up to me. She is a scrapper, born in the Projects. (I've lived in the middle ghetto, but never experienced the insanity of the Projects.) My roommate and I had gone to bed early, as we had a heavy conference day ahead. The Scrapper came in and demanded we get up and have some fun. I protested that I was in a nightgown and didn't want to get dressed. She dared me to take it off. Friends, I will always take a dare, unless it is dangerous, or illegal. I'm just like that. My roommate started laughing, because she is like me, but had the sense to remain quiet while others made fools of themselves.
I jumped out of bed, shed that nightgown, and revealed my birthday suit in all its overweight glory. I turned my back to The Scrapper, spread my cheeks and started crooning "Moon Over Miami". I fully expected The Scrapper to collapse in laughter, giving me a win by default. Boy, was I wrong!

She had a camera with her and began taking pictures! She claims she 'lost' that throw away camera. But CybeerGal knows that, when I become internationally famous: those pictures will magically appear! After all, Jesus said, what you do in the dark, will be shouted from the rooftops... I ended up collapsing in laughter and The Scrapper won that round.Returning to the present, MacPhilly has a very good blog. He said he'd post periodically. I like his work and after 31 days of waiting, I decided a bit of New York persuasion was in order. I fired off an email telling him to sit his fanny down and start blogging. I also indicated that I was doing a public service for all his other fans. Since I sent him a private email, he responded in kind, politely protesting that I was 'pushy'. (This was the first of several indications that I was biting off more than I could chew). I don't get subtle, so I ignored the gentle warning and wrote back that it was a New York Nugde. It was also my cat-and-mouse style of exploring what someone is really made of. Can I push them around?

Returning to his blog, he responded publically to me stating that I'd 'blasted' him, but that I'd won '...this time'. (This was the seconnd, less subtle attempt to let me know that MacPhilly is also a force to be reckoned with.) This time, I realized he was indicating that there might be another time, where he wouldn't be so nice... I figured I could take him to the mat, but didn't really want to, as I like and respect him. I laughed the whole thing off and we both went on with our lives.

His life circumstances took several unexpected turns and he blogged on his religious beliefs, parenting philosophy and marriage. I was very happy to have more of his talent to enjoy. So, I knew I was right to prod him into further creativity. By now, I'd started my own blog. Life is / was great. MacPhilly has three daughters and has made a decision to learn female things, along with all the male things he's learned throughout his life. He is secure in who he is.

When it comes to my female-ness, I am completely insecure. I didn't even begin to relate to it at all until about two years ago. I know more about sanding, nailing, raking and mopping, then I do about being a girl. I just can't work up an interest in it. I'm clueless at the makeup, or fragrance counter, but am at home in a hardware store. I feel guilty about this, like I'm missing something. So, when MacPhilly decided to go into painful (for me) detail on how to do a manicure and seriously care for chapped hands, I was on the defensive. Then he took me totally over the edge, ending his blog with: 'Remember, only use an emory board in one direction'. I reacted.

I had no female mentor, so when I had a hangnail, I'd chew it off and keep going. When I had the run-the-nylon problem, I bought a small steel nail file. What a waste of money, to get those popsicle sticks with sand grit on them. I've had my nail file for ten years and it still works just fine. I figured a nail is just a very thin piece of wood and I would sand it down. (Wearing nail polish did break me of chewing on my nails.) Well, by God, I was a registered blogger and I sure

had something to say...

MacPhilly has reproduced my comments along with his finely crafted response on his latest blog entry. I used humor, but I was absolutely intimidated. This is an example of 'ask a sarcastic question, and you might just get an answer...' I forgot a basic rule in human nature. When someone can type an entire page about how to care for nails and skin, you bet your butt, they know something. It was time to give CyberGal an education.

Holy Shit! (For those of you majoring in Cosmetology, I think he covered the first semester...) My nails have 'layers', (you mean, like a wafer-cookie?) The free edge of the nail should be a mirror image of my cuticle (what's a cuticle? I thought that was one of those single-cell things we looked at in Biology.)

Proper Respect goes to MacPhilly, a pecking order is being established.

Have I learned not to push and prod...? Probably not.

Curiosity almost killed this cat
but satisfaction has brought me back.

I will be coming to Boston next Oct. to see the Ignobel Prizes at Harvard. If you give me a proper steak dinner, with a glass of pink Zin, and a great chocolate desert, I'll be glad to help you out with the BMW.