If you have an open letter you want to write to someone you used to know, write it here. What would it say?

 

Hey Steve, it's been a long time since we've seen each other in person.

 

When we were in Mr. & Mrs. Markley's choir class in my sophomore year and your freshman year, why did you quiz me on some football knowledge in the first place? Even though I was never interested in football, and only watch the Superbowls for the commercials, I was still in an early development of my life and my social skills where I still thought it was possible to please everybody. I was also more willing to play games of chance back then, years before realizing that I've never been good with games of chance in real life, and likely never will be. 

 

I believe you may have asked "Who's the lead quarterback of the Denver Broncos?" That question made me very nervous because I looked at that question through the lens of it being a "social exam / exam to prove how cool and worthy of your friendship I am." Was that 'lens' correct? Why did you expect every boy in that school to know football well? If you didn't, why did you expect me to know all sorts of football facts?

 

I only knew of one Denver Broncos player: Romanowski. I didn't know what position he was. I didn't know his actual first name (Bill) either. I heard the name "Ruth Romanowski" somewhere else so I assumed "Ruth" was a unisex name like "Leslie," "Robin," "Dakota," and "Phoenix." Therefore, I assumed the Denver Broncos football player's name was "Ruth Romanowski."

 

In the years before learning that nobody could ever please everybody, I wanted to make as few enemies and as many friends as possible so I approached every social situation like they were big exams. I knew that if I answered your football question wrong, you'd likely become my enemy, depending on how poorly I answered it. Therefore, being more willing to play games of chance back then, I took a "blindfolded shot" hoping "the ball would land in the right place." So I answered "Ruth Romanowski." The ball wasn't even close to hitting the mark. You told me I was weird for answering the name of his mother. I didn't know Ruth was his mother's name. As mentioned before, I thought Ruth was a unisex / nonbinary name at the time. I saw the name "Ruth Romanowski" as one of four choices in some Channel One quiz about the origins of the Baby Ruth candy bar name, and only heard the last name Romanowski somewhere else so that's why I had thought Ruth was the football player's first name. I had no idea at the time his name was Bill.  

 

You had also told me Bill Romanowski was not even a quarterback either; he was a linebacker. 

 

Everyone is "weird" in our own way; it's what makes us human. If someone wasn't weird at all, they'd probably be too boring anyway. 

 

If I were ever faced with that question again, or to wake up back in my high school sophomore-aged body again all those years ago, and you quizzed me on football facts all over again, I'd say: 

 

"You know, Steve, what if I told you that not every guy has to like football, and that's completely okay? If a guy doesn't have the football knowledge you ask of him, so what? The world isn't worse just because he never bothered to learn about football. We're allowed to be interested in different subjects. Instead of football statistics, I'd rather learn the strategies that it takes to do well in video games because they've been my passion since my 6th birthday while football has been many other guys' passions since their 6th birthdays. I was never interested in football at any point in my life, and hopefully no one will attempt to force me to be."

 

If I had known earlier in life that it's impossible for anyone to please everyone, I'd not play those games of chance in an attempt to win over another friend. I'd be real with you the way I demonstrated in the above quotes and italics, and not try to bend to everyone's will. It's essential for kids to learn as early as possible that nobody can please everybody. 

 

I hope you can show signs that you've moved on from your grudge. When you didn't accept my friend request twice on Facebook, I took that as due to holding a grudge all the way from the Romanowski Choir Incident.