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PaperclipPerfector  7d ago (text post)   2667 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 21, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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This is a dumb "question" I'm just flabbergasted in a low key situation. Going to Mexico for my wife's friend's wedding. Taking my small kids, gonna be something...

Happens to be down in Mexico for Mexico's first World Cup knock out match. I don't like soccer it's for the poor's but this is falls under "few in a life time opportunities" in my mind. The one guy I kind of know on the trip turned me down going out to watch the game (at a bar, or sport garden) because he hates crowds and sports. I've always struggled not to judge this guy as a loser (sulks around and whines a lot), this really doesn't help. Literally I don't think any other person I know would turn down an invite like this. Am I being too harsh?

To be clear this is "going to a sports bar or whatever" not "dropping $$$ on tickets" correct?

I'd agree with you broadly and I think the guy hating sports ball or crowd anxiety is a weirdo showing his ass here. High stakes soccer is maybe the easiest sport to watch and enjoy.

That said, the one thing I'd point out is Pence Rule related stuff around foreign travel and going out to bars could come into play.

Yeah, sports bar or one of the bars on the beach. This specific beach town is known for being safe. We will be visiting bars outside of this frequently.

Then I agree with you completely. It is 100% normal and social for a couple guys to say "Hey let's get away from our families and watch the game and grab a beer." I frequently do that with brother in law at holidays at my in laws, hey let's go to a bar and hang out and watch the finals. With the subtext being, let's get away from the family for a bit and be guys. A guy who doesn't want to do that is kinda subnormal in masculinity in my mind.

Though I offer the Pence Rule exception because I can think of a couple of guys off the top of my head who are on the kind of marital probation where they would say no to going to a bar without their wife.

And Lord, I hope the people in this thread saying "you have kids why are you watching a soccer game in your free time" don't come for me next year.

A few years ago my Swiftie cousin's boyfriend sent out a group text asking if anyone wanted to go to Taylor Swift trivia at a local brewery. I was the only guy who showed up and when he asked me why I said"you had me at brewery". I could understand not wanting to go out to watch a game you had no interest in under normal circumstances, but I can't see doing that if I'm out of town for a wedding, especially if the alternative is hanging out in the hotel or worse, going shopping with the ladies.

Got all kinds of thoughts around that stuff, if wife is breastfeeding a new born, and the kid's being a hard ass, it may be constant grind to keep everyone's head above water. I'm blessed and my kids are great sleepers and usually chill. My wife admits I do more than my fair share of work around the house so I've got no qualms taking a few hours for myself every now and then. Most of the time I take the toddler with me because he's a cool guy. When he's old enough to comprehend making sure he fully understands the trade-offs concerning the choices he makes is a reason I spend a lot of time thinking about this stuff.

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