What's Wrong with America and Big Prize Reveal!

The other day, my good friend JJ threw one of my oft-uttered lines at me.

She said, "You’re what’s wrong with America.”

That is the line I use when I express my self-righteous disdain for things like wrapping paper. I don’t understand why I need to pay for paper that some kid is going to ruin in 3 seconds flat. I wrap my presents, if I wrap at all, in newspaper. Some people say I’m just cheap and crass, but to those folks I ask, “What are you doing to reduce, reuse and recycle? Hmmm?"

But JJ’s proclamation about my being the cause of America's woes? Now that hurts.

What would prompt such a harsh statement from a woman for whom I’ve climbed up a 16-foot non-OSHA-approved scaffold to help wall-paper her stairwell ceiling? (Really, who wallpapers ceilings?)

But I digress.

So how did this let’s-pile-on-Grace moment come about?

It came when I was engaged in a rare act of self-reflection. (Warning: Do not attempt alone or with JJ.)

I thought about my blog Grace Writes What Grace Likes and the topics I’ve been tackling – killer chipmunks, spontaneous masonry, downhill wagon racing, chucking the city life to raise alpacas, only to realize that my lack of skills would enable me to survive about a day and a half in the wild or on a farm.

For the rest of post, click here.