I Don't Have A Favorite

except for you, sweetie

Published on September 20, 2005 By Gene Nash In Personal Relationships

"What's your favorite football team?" someone asked the call-in show host. Only moments earlier he had queried someone about their favorite band.

That got me thinking. Personally, I couldn't answer either question.

"What's your favorite... team ...song ...movie ...Britney Spears body part." I might have overall favorites -- a general group of things I prefer -- but rarely do I have any number one, absolute, all-time favorite of anything. Ask me what my favorite of something is and I might be able to come up with a list of things from that category. But one single thing to rule them all? Forget it. This ain't Highlander. There can be more than one.

Favorites are a ridiculous shorthand people use to ascertain who you are, as if such trivia reveals your essential being. They're a slightly better disguised, but no more accurate, version of, "What's your sign?"

I've heard instances of people saying, "I could never promote so-and-so, his favorite film is Blooble-Fitzer!" What foolishness. If a gypsy found so little information floating at the bottom of her tea cup, she'd never hazard a fortune. Until you know why Blooble-Fitzer is his favorite film, and what that why means to him, you haven't begun to scratch the surface. Yet people make major decisions on even less.

The only thing more delusional than thinking you know everything about a person from knowing the title of their favorite film is imagining corresponding favorites mean you were separated at birth.

As a child, I'd always feel obligated to answer demands for a favorite, even if I had to make one up, and an explanation for it, on the spot. Fortunately -- unfortunately? -- I had the imagination to fulfill the compulsion. At least as an adult, I can now say, "I don't have one."

People look at me strangely for not having a favorite, as if they just noticed my third eye, or that the extra arm sticking out of my back is waving at them. By not having a favorite, I've suddenly fallen off the map they were trying to pin me in to. I'm an unknown quantity, possibly of alien origin, and best avoided.

Thus even the unknown quantity becomes "known" and labeled. Even when the answer comes back blank, people find a way to categorize and file you away. Being right is irrelevant; the fleeting comfort of knowing is everything. Once the disquieting mystery that was you is removed, their life can continue serenely and obliviously on.

Comments

ParaTed2k

on Sep 20, 2005

This is my favorite of all your articles! ;~D

Trudygolightly

on Sep 20, 2005

Your article is soooooooo true, so very funny and also very observant of human behavior! Awesome article.
Children aren't able to stand up for themselves and of course feel obligated to answer....

Geez, I thought I was in the minority cause I detest trying to answer those "favourite" kind of
questions! Even with family members, they can be soooooo stubborn about my not having
a favourite of something!

Life is toooooooo short to have just one kind of favourite of anything!

Mr_Frog

on Sep 20, 2005

*gives the third arm a high-five*

So true. There are so many things to like in the world, why limit yourself to relishing only one favorite?

-- B

Dynosoar

on Sep 21, 2005

Gene Nash

on Sep 26, 2005

This is my favorite of all your articles! ;~D

*GASP* What you just revealed about yourself! Why I never!

There are so many things to like in the world, why limit yourself to relishing only one favorite?

This is why I am still single.

(And the ultimate answer to, "Why aren't you married?")

BTW, Ted and Frog -- nice to see you around, I'd wondered if you two were still wandering through here.

Speaking of which...

Reply By: Dynosoar

The prodigal returns!

Geez, I thought I was in the minority cause I detest trying to answer those "favourite" kind of
questions!

Join the "No Favs" union. They have good snacks at the meetings. The next time your relatives pick on you, we can set up a picket line outside their houses. Freedom from the enslavement of preferences! Viva la No Favs!

So like...uhmm...who's your favorite blogger?

Why, me of course!

Moderateman

on Sep 26, 2005

geeezeeeee I must be boring as hell.. fav football team NY giants.

I have favs and always will, but that does not preclude me from enjoying to the hilt non-favs.

msladydeath

on Sep 28, 2005

Wow, So true!! Hmm, so what is your favorite style of music? Well, I like rock, rap, country, classical, indy, Punk, and on and on and on. I usually just say "depends on my mood" Works for pretty much anything! Well, sports team... I just tell them I'm from Nebraska, then I don't have to actually say I hate football (get you a firm lashing round here), it's just "understood" that I'm all for Huskers! LOL.

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