I had the joy of going to lunch today wherein annoying person was present. (Annoying person will henceforth be referred to as AP.) Pet Peeve number 3 – “being good” – came up so many times I about stabbed myself with my butter knife.
Eventually, I decided to stop being so passive aggressive and voice my thoughts. I figured if people can constantly bombard me with their negative self-talk and food guilt, then I would tell them my thoughts on the matter as well. Here’s how it went down.
On the topic of what to order…
Me: I’m trying to decide between this delicious-looking salad and the cheeseburger.
AP: Oh, are you trying to be good?
Me: (blank stare) No… I just don’t know which sounds better. The salad sounds really refreshing, but a burger also sounds amazing right now.
AP: Well the salad is healthy. (Because all salads are automatically healthy I guess.)
Me: (Blank stare, eye roll) I really don’t care about that, I’m just trying to decide what sounds better.
AP: Well I was going to be good, but I’m going to get the soup and salad and I’m thinking about getting potato soup. That’s so bad.
Me: (breaking point has been reached) Food is not bad. Food is good.
AP: You should see all the chocolate I have in my apartment right now. I’ve hidden it from myself and frozen the rest. Chocolate is so bad.
Me: I think chocolate is good.
AP: I’ll just skip dinner.
Me: (eying butter knife, dreaming of offing myself self to end this conversation)
For the record, I went with the salad. I’m slightly dehydrated from last night’s boozing and the fruits present in the salad sounded delightful to my palate. The chicken in the salad was gross though. I should have gone with the burger. I will definitely be eating a burger in the next few days now.
Later on… the conversation continues as I reach for a mint on the way out of the restaurant.
AP: I have sugar free gum in my purse if you want it. That mint is pure sugar.
Me: (vision going blurry with rage) I. Like. Sugar.
AP: Yeah well, I’m just really trying to be good.
Me: Listen, I don’t do the whole good thing. I just try not to think about it and everything usually just falls into place. I refuse to give food that much control in my life.
AP: (blank stare, uncomfortable laugh – as if what I just said was a joke) Oh.
Next time I’m going to throw my terrible pure sugar-filled mints at people. Sooner or later they’ll learn to take it elsewhere.
I’m not saying I never watch what I eat, or that I never choose a healthier option because I know it’s good for me – it’s just the way these conversations make food out to be some devilish entity trying to destroy our lives.
I just can’t get behind that kind of thinking. There are more important things to worry about and constantly hearing about it makes old habits I used to have come back into my mind. So if they’re going to wax on about “being good”, then I’m going to fire back every time. Bring it!
And on a completely unrelated note. I just learned that it’s supposed to snow in D.C. on Sunday. I most certainly had not accounted for snow in my packing situation, I guess some boots might have to be thrown into the mix? Yay boots!
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You handled that much more tactfully than I would have. I would have lost it way before the mints. Yaay for boots! Ugh, last Friday it was 80.
I guess D.C. is as weather schizo as Oklahoma is haha. At least I won’t have to adjust too much!
I agree with you. Chocolate is good.
I had a similar, but much shorter and less annoying, conversation with some guys I work with:
Dude: Are you on a diet?
Me: No
Dude: Then why are you eating green beans?
Me: Because I like them.
It’s such a novel concept for people – eating healthy food because you like it. Whoddathunkit??
Ahhh! That IS annoying. Good thing you said something to her. Hopefully she’ll stop commenting on her (and your) food from now on.
I believe i have had that same convo with my “friend” numerous times. I always sound the same as you. Although….I would have ordered the burger and eaten it in the loudest, most “MMMMM! This is SO DELICIOUS!” way as possible. LOL
Haha! I really wanted to just to prove a point, but I didn’t want their crazy to influence my food decision. I do wish I would have gone with the burger though. Salads at chain restaurants are never very good. I always forget that.
Conversations like that make me lose it. Seriously, I turn into a mega bitch. Im glad you said something.
Also, I like sugar too. Im currently eating a tortilla thats doused in sugar and butter. Whatever, its good!
That sounds delicious!
argh, people who constantly talk like that are really irritating. Food is neither bad nor good – it’s fuel and energy so we can do things like, you know, live.
really glad that you spoke up! that’s the sort of thing I do; staying silent isn’t going to help anyone.
That is a huge pet peeve of mine too, Kacy!!!
I hate how people give moral substance to food. IT. IS. FOOD. The food itself isn’t bad… our treatment of it is.. and avoiding it with such fear and assigning is a moral status IS WRONG.
All I have to say is eat real food. That could be vegetables, that could be a burger, that could be cake. Just eat it and shut up about it. If you don’t want it.. don’t eat it. And don’t lament to everyone around you whether or not you ate the darned piece of food.
NO ONE CARES.
Gahhh now I’m fired up.
I seriously hate it so so much. You handled it well!! I love how you said that food wasn’t going to have control over you. SOOOO TRUE.
People try to control food, but it ends up controlling them. And annyoing the living daylights out of everyone around them.
I’m starting to wonder if this person is related to one of my friends…
haha omg I cannot stand when I eat something and someone looks at me and says “OH your being SO good!” umm no im not, im eating food that tastes good that I want to eat, it has nothing to do with being good
snow in DC?!?!?! bundle up girlie!
Don’t stab yourself w/ the butter knife b/c it’s dull & will hurt terribly. Instead, stab the Good Girl.
Haha, good thinking
Good for you. I bet she felt like a fool after you told her you didn’t let food have that much control in her life. It sounds like she needs someone to talk to about her food issues.
My thoughts exactly… Next time just very sweetly mention that there are therapists who would love to help her deal with her food issues… I’m also not being unkind but she irritates me too… she really does need help with this…
You are a hoot and I love this!!!
I live in DC. The weather is indeed crazy. The good side of that, though, is that sometime we get 60+ days in December-February. Enjoy the cherry blossoms anyways!
Good for you for speaking up! I usually don’t say anything, even though I SHOULD. You inspire me to do so! It’s quite annoying to hear someone go on and on about how ‘bad’ food is.
You just made my day with this post!! Thank you so much for speaking up and saying everything that you did! I couldn’t agree more, and I love reading your blog each day
UM, this would drive me INSANE. Food is FOOD!
I might have punched her.
Oh that would have annoyed me soooooooo bad! Good for you for standing up to that ridiculous food talk that she feels the need to share with others! Hope you have a great trip to DC… and yes, snow, what is going on with this crazy weather?!
Wow, I would really hate to live her life always thinking she needs to be “good”. You handled it perfectly though!!!
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