Judging Others.....

I try not to judge people. Really. I don't like when people judge me by just looking at me or my actions. But sometimes, you just can't help yourself, especially when the person is so obnoxious that you just can't look away and not judge them.

Let me start with this: I love Chinese food (or just about any food - looking at me, you'd know that's a given) and there's one little restaurant near my house that I go to for take out. They serve from a steam table and have a selection of about a dozen entrees, some appetizers, chicken salad and wonton soup. You pick the size of each item - the scoop is about 8 ounces, then there's the pint, the quart and the gallon containers. When I order, I get scoops of several items and on a good day, can make that last for 2 meals, especially if I order a pork bun or some pot stickers.

So, last night I decided it was time for Chinese for dinner. I got in line (there's always a line) and turned and smiled politely to the guy who got in line behind me when he arrived. I didn't think too much of it. But, as I was going down the steam table picking my food, the guy behind me (let's call him Fred, just 'cause it's easier than saying 'the guy behind me' over and over) started picking out his items. He didn't just talk to the woman behind the counter dishing out the food -- Fred announced his choices and the reasons he was ordering that dish in the loudest voice he could muster; and with each announcement, he looked around at the people in line as if he were defending himself and his choices. "Give me a pint of white rice, because it's better for you than fried rice." "Okay, I'll take a quart of tofu and green beans because my doctor told me to give up red meat." "Give me a quart of sweet and sour pork, 'cause that's not red meat." "A quart of chicken salad because I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday."

Now, Fred wasn't a small man by any stretch (and as you know, I'm not Twiggy) but I couldn't help but comment to myself with each item he ordered: Dude, if you were told to give up red meat and you've got a doctor's appointment in two days, should you really be eating Chinese food today?????????????? Or at all? And when did you give up red meat? Eating tofu 2 days before your appointment isn't really going to help you out if you were told to give up the beef say, 3 months ago. Okay, I'll give you the white rice v. fried rice argument. But guess what? Everybody in that line already knew that!!! Fred, I hope you're buying all that food for your family of seven and you're not going home to sit in front of the TV and consume it all yourself....

I've been thinking about the scenario for about 24 hours now and the more I thought about it, the more I feel bad for judging Fred. I'm sure people in that line were judging me for buying Chinese food for dinner and were probably all wondering why I wasn't eating salad for dinner instead. Like I said, I try not to judge because I truly believe what I put in my body is none of your beeswax, just like what you put in yours is none of mine. And I probably wouldn't have given Fred a second look or thought if he had just ordered his food using his inside voice; it just seemed he wanted everyone to be aware of what he was doing and why he was doing it.

Now that I sit here and write this out, I'm just feeling sorry for Fred. Obviously he has some body issues and feels the need to justify what he's doing/buying/eating when there's a crowd. I understand what that's like - been there, done that.

The difference between me and Fred? I've finally made peace with this body of mine and I don't really care what other people, especially strangers, think or how they're judging me.

I hope that soon Fred will find some peace with his body.

Until Next Time,

Kel