Brainsprain.net

Always one of my favorite topics, but nothing brings it to the forefront of my mind like a sudden change in appearance. With all the weight I’ve lost (50 lbs so far!) and the new hairdo, I’ve noticed a distinct difference in the way I’m treated by strangers.

Prejudice simply means judgments on someone based on the way they look, and we all do it — it’s a survival technique. Six months ago, people immediately dismissed me as jolly and harmless. Now that I’m way down in weight and have extremely short hair, I fall into another category. The wife describes it as “tougher,” but I assure you it’s only skin deep. Oddly, though, it’s resulted in better service when I go to someplace like Fry’s. I think it’s cause I ordinarily don’t go around with a big grin on my face, and without the hair, that equates to a scowl, I guess. I’m going to experiment with wearing a big grin and see how that changes the reaction I get. Stay tuned for details.

While we’re discussing interesting stuff, you should read this. My buddy Bill sent it to me, and it’s a pretty powerful idea. At the very least, it’ll provoke conversation. At most, it could change the world.