July 16, 2025
Every day I share a Thought of the Day and Question of the Day—because sometimes all it takes is one sharp quote or one honest question to shake something loose. Today, we’re talking about bad taste, perfect timing, and the kind of cookie that knows too much.
Thought of the Day: “Bad taste is simply saying the truth before it should be said.” — Mel Brooks
There are people who know how to hold their tongue, who wait until the room is right and the moment is ripe before saying the thing that needs saying.
I am not always one of those people.
Mel Brooks, patron saint of well-timed chaos, puts his finger on something both hilarious and deeply uncomfortable. “Bad taste is simply saying the truth before it should be said.” Not a lie, not a joke—the truth. Just said at the wrong time. Or in the wrong tone. Or too soon for the audience to hear it without flinching.
It’s the difference between calling out the elephant in the room and stomping around on its back in tap shoes.
I’ve done this. You probably have too. Said something that felt necessary and honest—only to watch everyone else at the table recoil like you’d just broken wind and insulted Grandma at the same time. And sometimes, the reaction makes you wonder if you shouldn’t have said it.
But then there are those moments when the room goes quiet and someone finally exhales. And you realize that maybe bad taste wasn’t bad after all. It was just honesty that hadn’t been invited yet.
There’s a cost to telling the truth, especially early. It might make you look foolish. Or mean. Or both. But as someone who has eaten that cost more than once, I’ll take that over pretending everything’s fine when it’s not. Timing is a skill. But truth is a muscle. And like any muscle, if you never use it, it atrophies into politeness.
If this resonates, you might enjoy this post about the worst thing about Autumn or this one where I ask what people misunderstand most about you. Both brush up against uncomfortable truths—with (hopefully) just enough timing to make them land.
Question of the Day: What is your favorite type of Girl Scout cookie?
Earlier this week, someone dropped off a case of Tag-a-longs in the back of the office. A case. I don’t even know where they got it—do Girl Scouts sell cookies year round now? Then today, I spotted a package of one of the lemon varieties just sitting there. No note. No explanation. Just lemon cookies, tempting me like a citrusy little mystery.
Those two—Tag-a-longs and the lemon ones—are my top-tier picks. Thin Mints? I respect the brand, but I’d trade them without blinking.
And that got me thinking. You can tell a lot about someone by their favorite Girl Scout cookie. There are the Thin Mint purists. The Samoa maximalists. The Do-si-do defenders. And then there are the ones who pretend to like Trefoils—because they think picking the plain one makes them look virtuous.
Choosing a cookie is rarely just about taste. It’s about comfort. Nostalgia. Maybe even guilt. Are you the type to stash them in the freezer and ration them for weeks, or do you polish off a sleeve before you’ve pulled out of the driveway?
If you’re into this kind of question, check out this one about your least favorite candy or this post about what smell you associate with Spring. Your sweet tooth says more than you think.
Let’s be honest—what’s your favorite cookie? And when’s the last time you said something that was true, but maybe too soon?
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