Today, between two sub jobs, I realized that my little peanut butter and jelly sandwich on my gluten-free bread was not going to cut it (all the gf brands tend to make their slices quite small), so I stopped at grocery store to fill a small box at the salad bar.
I was right behind a woman, and we were doing that awkward dance of, "I'm trying to go fast so you aren't waiting for me" and "I'm trying to subtly show you that you can take your time, even though I'm behind you and filling a small container, so it just happens to take less time." (I mean that; it's not sarcasm.)
When we got to the end, and I skipped ahead, since I didn't need anything on that side, and I just needed a dressing packet, the woman suddenly told me, "Just to let you know, I'm not going to eat this all by myself. This is for me and my daughter--I know it looks like I'm eating like a pig."
Until then, I hadn't really looked at what she had, and honestly, I could eat it all if I was substantially hungry. I told her I hadn't even looked at what she was taking, and my salad was only 1/3 of my lunch, which was true, and that I get big salad trays all the time.
I wish I would have told her what dawned on me a couple moments later. What kind of society do we live in that a woman feels compelled to apologize to a stranger for taking her share of food from a salad bar? Where she feels judged for every last food choice--and from a salad bar, nonetheless. It seems as though she was almost saying, "Excuse me, I'm so sorry for occupying space in our shared universe."
Ladies, do not waste you time on Earth apologizing or punishing yourself for providing your body with nutrients. Enjoy life, eat good food, and claim your rightful space in this world.
