The Familiar

The not so deep dark secret of why Generica works is that we (or at least most) love the familiar. Even I who embraces the different and eclectic find the familiar very comforting. I walked into a Starbucks on the corner of Sawmill and Powell in Columbus, OH last week on our vacation and instantly felt at home. I was completely at ease. I was surrounded by a bunch of Midwesterners ordering their double tall soy lattes with indie music playing in the background. A tall young man with a goatee greeted me with a how ya doin. I responded with a predictable still asleep need my coffee joke and the dance was complete. Does the fact that I find comfort in this environment make me somehow less human or more?