I’ve been talking to an old buddy of mine about trying to get together “some time soon” for a little while now. Earlier this week he shot me a text; paraphrasing: “Hey, it’s nice out, how ‘bout we sit on your front porch - an appropriate distance away from one another, natch - and drink some beers?”
Compelling.
I took him up on it.
…and then panic sets in. I mean, he’s gonna be here in a half hour - what if he has to pee?
So I’m furiously scrubbing the toilet and I start thinking about my kids, and (over-)considering conventional wisdom about “Don’t worry about what other people think about you.” I’d like to think that I’m cleaning the bathroom in order to make my good friend more comfortable, and that’s partly true. But I think the primary motivator is avoiding embarrassment - not wanting my long-time friend to see how we’ve been living in squalor like jackals.
I guess maybe the tl;dr is: “To thine own self be true”…but also, social pressure cleans shitters.