last week i went to a book launch for someone i briefly knew and strongly disliked in undergrad. i went by myself without telling anyone and with an open mind. i’d hoped that she would have changed into a different person in the last ten years, but why did i have such hopes? (obviously because she reminds me of myself!) i arrived and noticed the audience was mostly comprised of her male co-workers from her tech job, which was odd. then i recognized her voice and immediately realized that some people don’t really change.
i wanted to leave early, in large part because the inside of the bookstore was too hot. one person arrived very late but was the first to raise her hand for the q&a. she asked, “what advice do you have for a fellow asian american woman trying to get published?” and i both cringed and admired her audacity.
instead of listing why i dislike this author’s personality, i’ll list things i’m drawn to in other people: humility, humor, contentedness, connection with the self and others..
