The Litter Within

Who do you carry with you? What parts of your personality, which personal tics, what tastes or dislikes have you acquired from another?

I recently stumbled over a scrap of writing I'd made about this topic. I realized that I like Thai food because someone introduced me to it, and from there my culinary palette cracked open and blossomed. I have phrases I borrowed from others, opinions I've borrowed from others, insights I've purloined as well. I suspect I am a carefully combed construct of other people's influences on me. Without those exposures, what is  my core self? Who would I have been or become without the abusive ex-husband? The eccentric best friend in elementary school? Without the drama queen cousin?

Given this "contamination" or litter from others, I am reminded constantly of how important it is to be choosy about who gets proximity to me, who receives my time and attention. Like Ben Franklin said, "Lay down with dogs. Wake up with fleas." It isn't just people, either. It's entertainment and hobbies. One acquires expectations of life and self based on one's posse. I don't want to clutter my mind up with trivia that has no resonance -- I care not one whit about who is winning "Dancing with the Stars." I don't care what Britney or Paris is doing. I wish I didn't even know who they are! It's insult enough to my mental bandwidth to have their tidbits cluttering up my memory banks.

So I trot out my Inner Elitist. I want to be smart. I want to be creative. I want to be open-minded and curious. I'm back to writing mental personal ads ... "Curious, creative, earnest, communicative human seeks same. Must be tolerant, reasonably intelligent, and able to bring something new to the table. Prefer nurturing or demonstrative nature. Prigs, gossips, drama queens, ardent fans of The National Inquirer or reality TV and momma's boys/daddy's girls need not apply."