Issue #141 | October 23, 2026 | Previous issues​

Hey Reader,

As I was preparing this newsletter, a friend stopped over that I haven't chatted with in a long time.

We enjoy bantering and sharpening each other's minds.

We never have enough time to talk about all the things we want to talk about.

Don't you just love a friend like that?

I also love that she's a little older than me.

She's a baby boomer and I'm Gen X.

Those generation names aren't just labels. They offer a glimpse into how perspectives have changed over time. When I read about Gen Xers, I immediately identify with the description.

Anyway, I enjoy talking to people of all ages because I'm curious about them. Why do they do what they do? Why do they think a certain way? What makes them tick?

I've noticed lately that many people seem to lack curiosity about others. I rarely see people asking questions. It's like people just want to talk and be heard rather than be curious about what others think, feel, or believe.

Have you noticed this?

We are a complicated lot, are we not?

Well, if there is one thing my friend and I have in common, it's curiosity. (Now, if only I could apply that to my family! LOL)

We love asking questions—of each other and of others we happen to be conversing with.

So I wanted to get her perspective on an article I read last night that I couldn't stop thinking about.

The article discussed two sides of the issue: Is it OK to bring a latte to a job interview?

What would you say to that?

Depending on how you answer that question, I might be able to tell you how old you are. LOL

My friend totally surprised me with her response.

She said, and I quote, "I don't need to have an opinion about that."

What????

I looked at her like she had six heads and then I laughed, because I realized she was right!

Why in the world did I, Anna Celotto, need to have an opinion about this?

I'm not an employer.

I'm not looking for a job (I already have several ha 😉).

Why in the world was I spending so much brain energy on this topic???

And you know, if I shared this question with AI, we would have a lengthy conversation about it because ChatGPT doesn't have the wisdom to say, not my problem and neither is it yours. Leave it alone. LOL.

I said to my friend, wow...that makes you a free person.

She's not encumbered or bogged down in life because she refuses to get involved in discussions and debates that don't need her.

She protects her mental and emotional bandwidth.

That's freedom.

That's wisdom.

But you know me.

You're reading the Feral Housewife's newsletter, not some polite ladylike woman who doesn't enjoy rocking the boat.

So I asked her again. But really, what is your opinion about this?

And in the course of that second discussion, she produced another nugget of wisdom.

These kinds of debates end up less about the subject and more about who is right and who is wrong.

💡 Light bulb moment! 💡

She was on to something!

There are certain subjects that do have right and wrong answers, but we won't get into those.

But squabbles over cultural shifts, unwritten societal rules, and even mindless debates often send us down a road that gets us nowhere near a solution.

And if you're not part of the solution, guess what?

Then you're part of the problem.

You can't be both.

When you're too busy pointing fingers and trying to find out who is right and who is wrong, you simply cannot be part of the solution.

It's just a waste of everyone's time.

Now, don't get me wrong.

I love having opinions.

I am NOT going to stop having opinions or thinking about culture, rules, and debates.

It's just that I realize that if I want to truly be free, I don't have to stay emotionally attached to MY opinions.

And I definitely don't have to publicize them. Though if you read this newsletter, I can't promise that you won't be exposed to them.

I can debate a topic, if I want, just for the fun of it.

But I don't always have to be right.

And younger generations don't always have to be wrong (except when we really are LOL).

And speaking of younger generations.

My baby is now a teenager. He's a Gen Alpha.

It feels like yesterday that I was singing Pink Martini's Ninna Nanna Italian lullaby to him while he was still in my belly.

And now, it's 14 years later!

14 years!!!

Where have the last 14 years gone?

I have opinions about that, but for now I'll keep them to myself.

With love,

Anna

P.S. For the record, I still haven't decided how I feel about bringing a latte to a job interview. Apparently, I'm growing. 😂

​aferalhousewife.com​