I've been letting people take liberties lately. Today, when my nosy coworker asked (as always) when I'd gotten into work, I actually told her — hell, I've answered a half dozen questions this past week where the correct response was "none of your business." I've had whole conversations that I should have cut short on that rationale. And this weekend I let a girl who writes slash fiction get away with insulting me, without so much as a good-natured comeback.

I've always believed that you can be an introvert without being meek, or a doormat, but lately I've been letting the world do prettymuch whatever it wants.

My thoughts were elsewhere, for the most part. Often I was thinking about tomatoes.

I like being nice to people, but sometimes you have to choose between being nice and being yourself. Today I've dialed up my cynicism a few notches, and I already feel like Our Bold Hero again.