Two Truths and A Lie

Last month my book club read the classic novel "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. I'd never actually read it as a teenager. It wasn't required in any of my English classes and I was too busy reading Stephen King and John Grisham to worry about the ramblings of a depressed, silver-spooned teen boy in the 1940's.

But the book isn't really the point of this post. This is about the game we were supposed to play at the meeting called 'Two Truths and A Lie". If you've ever been to summer camp or in a sorority, you've probably played this game before. The name pretty much sums it up. You tell 3 things about yourself. Two of them are true and one of them isn't. Then everyone else has to guess which one is the lie. We were supposed to focus on stories from our teen years, since Holden Caulfield was sixteen (I think?!?!) in the book.

I say we were "supposed to play" because we didn't actually end up doing it. All but two of us forgot and no one wanted to try to make things up on the spot. Instead, the two that had actually done their BC "homework" told their stories and we guessed which were lies (I picked the wrong one both times). Then we just spent the next half hour or so telling stories from our teen years. Stories of parties and boys and car accidents. And its funny that even though we all grew up in different towns with different friends and different families, the stories were all pretty similar.

So, since I didn't tell my two truths and a lie at book club, I decided I'd play it with you, internet! Here we go....

Story A - My junior year, my date ditched me in the middle of the Sadie Hawkins dance to go over to another girl's house. He even premeditatively left his car at the school earlier in the day so he'd have an easy getaway.

Story B - My junior year I broke the school track & field record for Triple Jump and went to the state championships.

Story C - I was a terrible swimmer and would fake illness or injury every time we had to swim in gym class.

So, internet, which is the lie?

I Am *So* That Person

Have you ever been a member of a book club or other discussion group? Was there that one person in the group that always seemed to have an opinion or monopolized the conversation? If you can't think of anyone that fits that description, then its probably you.

Well, I recently realized that I'm totally that person in my monthly book club. I swear that I wasn't always this way. In the beginning, I was one of the quieter ones. But something happened over the years and now I can't seem to shut myself up.

I try to stop, I swear. I even tell myself, "Okay, Jackie. This time you are only going to comment on every third subject that comes up." But then I get there and before I know it my mouth is opening and closing non-stop and I hear myself going on and on and on and on.

It probably doesn't help that we usually have wine during our meetings. Two glasses and my filter almost completely disappears. Its like being in a book club with Lisa Lampanelli.

Actually, that would be pretty awesome. In fact, nevermind. Let me pour a glass and tell you all about my opinions on our latest book. Just don't expect to get a word in edgewise.