Why do women feel pressured to wear makeup in Western cultures? It’s a rite of passage, one of the doors to adulthood for a number of teenaged girls in the United States and other developed nations in the world: wearing makeup. I remember turning 13 and starting out sparingly with just a bit of purple eyeshadow, a few brushstrokes of blush, and a delicate pink lipstick. As time and acne progressed with puberty, I delved deeper into the world of … Continue reading →
Why do some people wait right up until tax day to file their taxes? I must confess that I’ve never been a hardcore procrastinator. By the same token, I’ve never been a goody-two-shoes either, the one who started doing her homework assignments the moment she got home from school. Generally, I tend to go the middle of the road: I don’t do things too soon or too late. And that goes for filing taxes as well. I’m not breaking down … Continue reading →
Why don’t adults include simple, old-fashioned fun in their lives? The world has always been a busy place, and now it seems like it’s gotten even busier than ever. There’s always something to do, whether it’s work, kids, older parents, and other things. There’s always something to worry about–money, job, health issues, relationships, you name it. We have so many things on our mind and so many things to keep us busy, that we forget to take a break from … Continue reading →
Why are so many people wary of the number 13? If you ask me, I think the number 13 has gotten a bad rap. What makes this number so scary to so many? After all, it’s just a number like any other, right? When most people think of the number 13, they often associate fear and bad luck with it. Friday the 13th is long believed to be a day when anything and everything bad can happen. It certainly was … Continue reading →
Why is it so difficult for people to push their chairs under the table? We’ve all (hopefully) learned some basic manners when we were kids. In addition to knocking on a door before entering a room and chewing food with a closed mouth, one of the lessons we (should have) learned was pushing in our chair when we got up from the table. Working in a library that abounds with tables and chairs, I’m continually amazed how most adults have … Continue reading →