Pick your favorite movie, your favorite songs, pick everything. Trust me, it won’t hurt anyone’s feelings. These are not like our childhood days when having more than one best friend was a cardinal sin. “You can’t have two favorites,” you would hear.

But, now, can you at least think of one?

I apologize in advance for sounding a little cliché or cheesy, but I think it’s important.

Who are you? I know you know the answer, but if we had just met, how would I find the answer?

You can tell a lot about a person by the things they like. This is one thing that makes us all different. Whether you watch CNN or Fox News, “Family Guy” or “CSI,” you can let people know who you are.

The default answer “I have a lot of favorites” is weak. While I am sure this may be the case, it is like not giving an answer at all. There has to be something that sticks out above the rest. And if you don’t know what it is, find it.

I remember being in Hollister this summer when I overheard three girls all in the same dressing room next to mine. The wardrobe inquisition began. “Ugh, this looks so ugly on me,” I hear one girl say as she awaits comments from the firing squad. “I think it looks so good on you” another voice says. After getting unanimous approval from her friends, the girl decides to buy the shirt. Is she serious? I thought she hated the shirt. Opinions are great. I probably have a million of them, but they are just that, opinions. You know yourself better than anyone, and I will never believe that letting people decide what we like will ever makes us feel like an individual.

Standing there I thought of Julia Robert’s character in “Runaway Bride” and how her preference of eggs depended on whom she was dating at the time. Throughout the movie she claims scrambled, fried or poached as favorites. At the end she finally says that benedict-style is her favorite, and she hates all the rest. She found herself in a plate of eggs. She just had to admit it.

When watching football games with teams I don’t know very well I like to watch for a few minutes and then pick one team that I want to win. Without a favorite, the next four hours could be very boring.

I would not care who sacked the quarterback or intercepted to run the ball back for a touchdown if I liked both teams equally.

The thing about favorites though, is that they can change, and that is OK. My dream car when I was sixth grade was a hunter green Saturn. A hunter green Saturn!

Here it is ten years later, and I no longer claim that as my favorite.

Whatever you like, be passionate and excited about it. Nothing to fight for or believe in would make a very dull girl.

The season of fall, gingko trees, the Elite Five and Cajun cuisine, “Friends” DVDs, Barq’s with mint chocolate chip ice cream, sweet potatoes, penguin pajamas and the colors purple and green, “Anchorman” quotes, The Four Seasons and the number thirteen. These are a few of MY favorite things.

 

Valerie Metrejean is a junior journalism major from Lafayette and serves as senior news editor for The Tech Talk. E-mail comments to vmm008@latech.edu