I think it was January 2000. Michael and I were attending an anthropomorphics convention in the Bay area. As I was walking to our hotel room I passed a room that reeked of a strange smell. It was a scent I had encountered before, but I had never learned what it was.

When I got to the room, I told Michael about the smell. He described a part of the hallway and asked if that’s where it was.

When I confirmed, he smiled and shook his head in a manner that clearly indicated I was a silly person.

“Honey,” he said very gently, “that’s pot. Someone is getting extremely baked in a room there.”

“Oh!”

In other words, I didn’t learn how to recognize the smell of pot until I was 39 years old.

I’ve never been one of the cool kids… Continue reading Not one of the cool kids →