Something quite funny just happened, but I can’t really explain it in detail without blowing my cover — at least to some extent. I’ll just speak vaguely and try to tell the story.
I manage the Facebook page of an organisation I volunteer with. I post articles, photos, and keep it regularly updated for our followers. Last year, I posted a couple of photos that some followers thought were fake, and they were very vocal about their thoughts. I really took it to heart. I ended up taking the photos down and was so put off by the whole thing that I didn’t feel like posting for a while.
Today, I posted a news story from the ABC Facebook page with a photo that had been internationally recognised. One follower commented that it was a “cut and paste job,” while another blatantly said he thought it was fake. So, I did some research on the photo and found an article — an interview with the young photographer who had taken it.
I replied to his comment, explaining that I had posted the original photo from a reputable source — the ABC — and I also shared the link to the interview with the photographer. Then he wrote back saying, “Thank you for the information, but I still think it’s a fake.”
I was honestly quite bothered by this. It reminded me so much of last year when followers accused me of posting fake photos when, really, there was no way to know either way. So, I called the President of the organisation I volunteer with and asked him to take a look at the photo. He said it was fine and to just leave it there — but I just couldn’t.
I ended up deleting the post and then writing a personal message to the man who insisted it was fake. I thanked him for sharing his thoughts about the authenticity of the photo and told him I didn’t want to compromise the integrity of our Facebook page. I also let him know I’d taken the photo down.
And then — this part makes me laugh so much — he replied:
“I genuinely do not care one way or another about the integrity of your Facebook page. Who cares what I think? Post what you want.”
I laughed so hard, because here I was, completely worked up about it, and he just could not care less. I replied, saying that I cared about what our followers think and thanked him again for his feedback.
Later, I looked at his Facebook page, and it turns out he’s a professional photographer. Maybe he saw something in the original photo that others didn’t. So, in the end, maybe it was the best thing to take it down after all.
I have another two things of interest that happened today, and I’ll start with the most physically painful one. Overnight, something happened to my back. I know I sleep sort of irresponsibly — on my side, with my leg thrown all the way over in an awkward yet comfortable position.
This morning, I woke up and I could barely walk. My lower back has been in so much pain that Mum had to lend me a walking cane. I can lie down, but I can’t bend over to pick anything up, and it’s very, very debilitating.
I said to Mum that I now speak this language — the language of pain and incapacitation. Mum’s been really good; she’s reached for things for me and helped me out. But if this continues any longer than today, I’m going to have to take drastic action to rectify it.
Finally, this is going to sound like I made it up, but I had another strange coincidence come to fruition today.
The day before last, I stopped at the service station on the way home and bought a packet of chips. Yes, I am supposed to be on a diet, but I haven’t really gotten into it much yet. I don’t usually eat chips, but when I do, I’ll go for plain potato or sweet chilli. On this particular day, I bought a packet of chicken chips.
On the front of the green packet, there was an illustration of two drumsticks with the skin on them, and it made me realise that chicken chips are designed to taste like chicken. Yes, this is obvious, and yes, I already knew this — but I had never really thought about it.
I am a strict vegetarian and do not eat any meat at all. But when I got in the car, I opened the packet of chips and had a few. It was unbelievable — once the penny had dropped that the taste of these chips was literally chicken in all its glory, it tasted different than how I had remembered it.
I remember having chicken chips, as well as salt and vinegar chips, as a child at garden parties with my parents. It was a distinct taste, but never in my life did I think they were designed to taste like actual chicken. I simply could not continue eating the chips.
I was certain that if they tasted like chicken, they must have some meat product in them, and suddenly I felt dirty. I felt like I had broken the pact I made with myself never to eat meat again.
When I got home, I told Mum the whole story about the chicken chips and how I’d eaten a few and felt dirty. I then got in touch with my friend Rebecca and told her how I felt like I had eaten meat. She confirmed it, saying that yes — chicken chips are a meat product.
This made me stop and reevaluate my entire understanding of flavours and tastes. Burger Rings, for example, are designed to taste like burgers — yet in my mind, I’d always assigned that taste to something completely different.
Anyway, once I came to accept the truth about chicken chips, I was going to write about it here on my blog, but I decided not to.
Today, something I find literally unbelievable happened. Robert Irwin — Steve Irwin’s son, wildlife warrior, host of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and a photographer in his own right — caused controversy when he appeared in a Twisties ad.
There are two flavours of Twisties: cheese and chicken. In the ad, he mentioned that chicken Twisties were his favourite. People were outraged that he would support chicken Twisties, essentially because they are considered a meat product.
I have never thought about chicken chips in my entire life — and then, just two days after my realisation about their very nature, this happened with Robert Irwin. I find that to be an extreme coincidence, and I know it’s a little self-indulgent to think the universe orchestrated this marvellous chain of events involving chicken chips all for my benefit.
But to me… it’s just weird.
