A friend of mine grew up in a particularly repressive, unhealthy corner of the conservative Christian bubble and is on a quest for all the knowledge she was denied. This is admirable and also pretty fun. Showing someone Futurama for the first time is deeply satisfying. My friend has fastened onto me as a sort of reference guide lately, probably because I’m a blathering know-it-all. We once stayed up until 3 in the morning while I explained how plate tectonics work. I’m happy to respond to requests for book recommendations and useful articles. But sometimes I’m a bit out of my depth. I’m only a few years older than she is, and I have no qualifications for any sort of mentorship but having been encouraged to follow my curiosity rather than crush it. I worry about being condescending without meaning to and about staying in my lane. She asked about pronouns in Twitter bios the other way (we’re both cis, and I explained to her what being cis is, and what puberty blockers are … ) and I probably acquitted myself OK? I don’t want to opt out of her learning adventure, but how do I avoid being a snot about it and know when I’m up to being useful, and when I should point her to Google?