Sometimes the greatest act of self-love is ordering your own appetizer platter for dinner.

Appetizer platters always make me think of this girl I knew from college named Tina. I hated Tina for really only reason, mostly involving an appetizer platter. To celebrate the end of a big project,  a group of us dressed-up and met at Olive Garden. We attended a small college in rural Iowa and an evening at Olive Garden was an event. I decided to let loose and do something I’d always wanted to do: Order an appetizer platter as an entree.

The main reason I ordered the appetizer platter was because it contained a portion of calamari. Tina, my seat mate, was also excited I ordered the appetizer platter and suggested we share meals. Back then, I wasn’t confident saying “no,” so I reluctantly agreed. Trina ordered something completely unremarkable that I can’t remember and then she ate most of my calamari. I watched in horror as her hand kept reaching over, grabbing ring after ring. “I just love calamari!” she gleefully exclaimed.

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