Chapter 6

           FivehundredyearsagocartographersbelievedthatCaliforniawasanisland.Doctorsbelievedthatslicingaperson’sarmopen(orcausingbleedinganywhere)couldcuredisease.Scientistsbelievedthatfirewasmadeoutofsomethingcalledphlogiston.Womenbelievedthatrubbingdogurineontheirfacehadanti-agingbenefits.Astronomersbelievedthatthesunrevolvedaroundtheearth.

           WhenIwasalittleboy,Iusedtothink“mediocre”wasakindofvegetablethatIdidn’twanttoeat.Ithoughtmybrotherhadfoundasecretpassagewayinmygrandmother’shousebecausehecouldgetoutsidewithouthavingtoleavethebathroom(spoileralert:therewasawindow).Ialsothoughtthatwhenmyfriendandhisfamilyvisited“Washington,B.C.,”theyhadsomehowtraveledbackintimetowhenthedinosaurslived,becauseafterall,“B.C.”wasalongtimeago.

           Asateenager,ItoldeverybodythatIdidn’tcareaboutanything,whenthetruthwasIcaredaboutwaytoomuch.Otherpeopleruledmyworldwithoutmyevenknowing.Ithoughthappinesswasadestinyandnotachoice.Ithoughtlovewassomethingthatjusthappened,notsomethingthatyouworkedfor.Ithoughtbeing“cool”hadtobepracticedandlearnedfromothers,ratherthaninventedforoneself.

           WhenIwaswithmyfirstgirlfriend,Ithoughtwewouldbetogetherforever.Andthen,whenthatrelationshipended,IthoughtI’dneverfeelthesamewayaboutawomanagain.AndthenwhenIfeltthesamewayaboutawomanagain,Ithoughtthatlovesometimesjustwasn’tenough.