Yelp!

Back when I was blogging regularly I frequently wrote reviews. Well, not “frequently” in the “frequently” sense, but every now and then. I did it in part to provide feedback others out there might find useful. Mostly, I wrote reviews to improve my ability to articulate critical observational skills. So I’ve been thinking, why the hell not start again in this post-COVID world?

But what to review?

In particular I’ve been thinking about all the changes that have come about due to the economic effects of COVID on the restaurant industry. For example, my favorite local dive recently dove and has been replaced by a restaurant that was located kitty corner across the intersection (a building and restaurant that was, IMHO, demolished for good reason). The new incarnation of this restaurant serves the same food it used it, albeit with a smaller, more expensive menu. Food isn’t served on plates anymore but easily washed, small “cookie” sheets. And unlike my old, favorite dive, the menu is now limited to “Greek” food—which is great—if you want Greek food. The beautiful old wood adorning the inside of the building is now painted “Greek” blue and white. No more soup or vegetarian and non-vegetarian special of the day. It’s $10-ish dollar steak fries and pita sandwiches all around. It sucks.

As with many things in life, we most want to shout when we don’t something that’s changed. For instance this whole Tina Turner deciding to die thing. Don’t like it. Universe seemed a lot more stable when she was an assumed part of the environment, like when Leonard Nimoy and George Carlin were still doing their thing. Life is change, as Buddhism is so ready to remind us, but at the same time some changes I don’t particularly like and those changes are one’s I’m more likely to not only note, but want to “rant” about on Yelp!

But is it useful to do so?

As a reflective sort, this has me thinking about how I tend not to point out things I don’t like in my relationships. It’s not that I don’t have something to say. It’s not that I don’t want things to change in some very specific, clearly defined way. “If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all,” goes the old adage. And it has been my experience, more often than not, when I use my voice to articulate desired changes in personal relationships those relationships, no matter how seemingly solid, tend to end (completely and abruptly). So I have a lot of social anxiety when it comes to having a voice in social relationships. And that anxiety translates directly into uncomfortable feelings when I begin seriously sketching out online reviews.

Will the review be useful?

Will I negatively impact real, hard-working people?

If I go to said business again will I be identifiable?

Will the act of writing reviews really improve my writing skills?

Does anyone give a shit?

I suppose I need to do what I’ve been doing a lot of lately, getting over myself (especially when “myself” swings back and forth between meaning and nihilism).

Have a good one 🙂

…asm…

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