Pizza

People usually like it when you buy pizza for them, but sometimes they react oddly. I think it depends on why they think you're doing it.

A few years ago, I bought pizza for a shift meeting of our township cops, because I suspected that nobody probably ever did anything like that, and I thought it'd be fun. They seemed pretty pleased. About three weeks ago, I bought pizza for the staff at my oral surgeon's office, because most of them are nice people, and they make the experience as close to pleasant as possible. When I went in two days ago, three different people made a point to thank me, and I got the impression that it didn't happen that often.

On the other hand, I offered to buy pizza for people at the office where I used to work at IBM, and they never replied. I don't know why, but I suspect they thought I was trying to get a job there again. Which, okay, I'd think about, but truthfully, I wasn't trying -- I just like most of the people there, and, again, most people don't do stuff like that.

I really don't know why it's not common. It's certainly easy enough. Not to make, surely -- at least, not for me; the ones I make are never as flavorful as I'd like, or as supple (I still yearn for the Bronx standard -- a crust thick enough to hold its shape while you fold a slice in half, with a fair amount of sauce, and some tasty spices) -- but to buy? And then to give? Piece of cake. Not at all expensive, either.

So why don't more people do it?