Topless Pork Chop Day

An Annual Celebration for All

Seven years ago, on November 5th, a friend of a friend decided to schadenfreude herself on Facebook. And every year I’m reminded of the cathartic joy of laughing at ourselves and the unexpected bonding that happens when we share our most vulnerable authentic selves with others. This brief anecdote taught me the importance of adapting, prioritizing and overcoming embarrassment by owning it.

Now a tenure-track writing professor, seven years ago she was a graduate teaching fellow pulling long hours at Prince Lucien Campbell Hall. The University of Oregon’s tallest building, always called PLC, is also the ugliest building on campus.

“Colored tile attempts to harmonize the structure with surrounding older buildings on the Memorial Quadrangle (the Museum, Knight Library, Chapman Hall, Condon Hall).”

It does not.

But deep inside the eyesore highrise, a hardworking woman, a single mother of three pursuing her MFA, was finally able to reheat her leftovers and enjoy last night’s pork chop for lunch.

But alas, no steak knives in the break room. No matter, she thought. She had her office window blocked and could just close the door and eat it with her hands. Which she did until the juice started to threaten her favorite sweater. No matter, she thought. I’ll just take it off. So she did. And so, topless, she continued to eat her pork chop with her bare hands. And then her officemate walked in.