When I moved into the dorms, there was a popular radio commercial for some health insurance company featuring a message from a new college freshman to her parents. She talked about how much she loved college and her roommate, with whom she shared everything - they even used the same spoon. Then she talked about some of the exciting plans she had coming up - including kayaking (That's kind of like boating, right? But don't worry, we're only going on a Class V rapid.) and a Kiss a Stranger party.

That semester, I was talking to a friend in one of my classes and the subject of kayaking came up. I quoted the commercial to him, "That's kind of like boating, right?" and he answered me seriously, as if he'd never heard the commercial. I was embarrassed, thinking that I gave the impression that I really did not know what kayaking was.