You guys,
I did my first March Madness bracket when I was working at the local newspaper in 2007. I was fresh out of college and my boss and co-workers were all men in their 30s and 40s. We met at a sports bar and drank beer while drafting our teams.
I was comfortable around men. In fact, I preferred it. I considered myself “one of the boys” because I wanted to be treated like one. Boys got to run and play in the dirt and never got yelled at for it. They didn’t have to sit up straight and cross their legs. They got to climb trees and be fearless, while I was told to be careful and “act like a lady.”
Sure I liked Barbies and jewelry and eye liner, but I also wanted to be loud and take up space.
So when Shawn hired me to work at the paper I spent much of the time trying to prove I was just like them. I was aloof, sarcastic, vulgar—or at least didn’t flinch when someone else was. I went out with them every Thirsty Thursday to the bar around the corner, where we’d drink Blue Moons and eat oyster crackers until close. I knew nothing about college basketball and had no idea which player to pick first but was determined to act like I did.
I went to the bathroom and texted my brother. He responded quickly and told me to pick Pete Maravich. “He’s a sleeper pick, no one will pick him.” I looked at the list in my hand and didn’t see his name. Wow, he must really be a sleeper, I thought.
I exited the bathroom and strutted back to our table. I waited until I had everyone’s attention, then announced my pick.
Eight dudes stared at me, then they all laughed. Shawn asked, “Uh, Char, are you sure about that?” I stood up taller and nodded. “Char, I don’t know who you’re getting your information from, but Pete Maravich is dead.”
That was the day my nickname became Pistol Pete.
At the very least, it was a boy’s name.
Bleecker Bombs
A new podcast episode is out and Sam is back!
We planned to talk about our reflection of 2023 and plans for 2024 but all of that was boring so I cut it and just kept the stuff about how much I suck at parenting.
Listen to the episode on overcast.fm, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts.
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Until next week,
Charlie
Pistol Pete is a great pen name for something you produce in the future. Just sayin’! Haha
I laught out loud and people started to stare 🤣