I really don't like apple pie.
You could bake me an apple pie every day for a year and I would never eat a single bite.
You could be the nicest person in the world.
You could be my Mother.
But I still wouldn't eat it.
Because I don't like apple pie.
Let's say I bought an apple pie to a dinner party I was invited to.
Let's say I attended the same dinner party every Friday evening, and I bought an apple pie with me every single time.
But the host never ate my apple pie.
No matter how much time and love I put into baking it.
No matter how many different variations of apple pie recipes I tried.
No matter how much all the other guests raved about how amazing my pie was.
Maybe the host just doesn't like apple pie.
The first time I bought it because it's obligatory the first time you visit someone's home to bring a gift.
And I kept bringing it every week because everyone else loved it and I really enjoyed baking.
Or maybe eventually after a few months, I just stop bringing it, but I still come anyway.
Because I really love the dinner parties and the people are amazing.
What if someone else who only shows up twice a year to these parties brings a pecan nut pie that the host rants and raves about every damn time.
Do I resent her for that?
Do I take it as a personal attack?
Do I stop attending altogether?
No.
Because my enjoyment of a dinner party is not dependant on whether or not the host eats or enjoys my food.
When I'm dishing up at a dinner party, I choose the things I like, irrespective of who made them.
Irrespective of whether or not other people like them.
My decision is based solely on the food itself, not outside factors.
Look, I won't pretend to know how it feels to be a Hopeful.
My first set was bought after just 3 days in Member Review.
I went pink after less than a month on the site.
But I do know how it feels to put my heart and soul into a set and have it nor get bought.
I'm sure we all know the feeling.
I'm sure we all feel that all our sets deserve to be SOTD.
I know it sucks when they don't.
The thing is, my love of this community is not dependent on whether or not my sets get bought.
I come here because I love the people and it's a place where I feel loved and accepted. I don't really get that anywhere else.
Where I'm from, it's pretty conservative. In African culture, tattoos are seen as almost "demonic" and people assume I'm Satanic or something.
It's so mice coming somewhere where we are celebrated for being different, not persecuted.
Where it's okay for me to be me.
And that's why I stay.
Because here, I've found my people.
So don't let the fact that your sets aren't being bought detract from this experience for you.
Maybe sometimes our sets are just like apple pie.
And maybe SG just doesn't like apple pie.
It's nothing personal.
It's just pie.
