Photo Credit: Brian Legate, Creative Commons
At work the other day a customer came through the line, complaining he couldn’t find anything to eat. ”What are you looking for?” I asked him. “We have plenty of options.”
He paused, hemmed and hawed, and I waited for him.
“Are you looking for something sweet or savory?” I asked, watching the line pile up behind him. I hoped I could encourage him in the right direction.
“Oh, I don’t eat any of that stuff,” he told me, waving toward the pastry case.
“Okay,” I said. I didn’t really blame him. I rarely eat the stuff in the pastry case, either. “How about a spinach wrap? Or an oatmeal?” I suggested. “Our oatmeal comes plain, and you can add your own toppings.” I could sense he was looking for healthier options.
“No,” he said. “I don’t eat grains.”
“Are you gluten-free?” I asked him.
He nodded.
At first, I was excited to hear his admission that he was gluten-free. It’s rare to meet someone in Florida who knows what “gluten-free” means, let alone who abides by the diet. It’s common in Portland, where I’m from, but not so much here. So at first, hearing him say, “I don’t eat grains” made me feel kind of at home.
But I wasn’t prepared for what came next.
Right there, in the middle of Starbucks, with a line of people waiting behind him, he launched into what sounded like a rehearsed diatribe about how grains are the devil.
He had read this book, he said. It was by a doctor, and the doctor had told him that grains made people fat. If we just stopped eating grains, he told me, we would all stop being fat. Suddenly, I couldn’t help it, I found myself looking down at his gut. It just happened. “If we just stop eating grains,” he told me, “it would solve all of our problems with everything.”
Everything? I asked him. Everything, he said. And suddenly I started thinking (I couldn’t help it) … Literacy? Fatherlessness? The divorce rate?
But since my whole job is to be nice, I kept my mouth shut.
He rambled for a few more minutes before merging out of line, making sure to remind me of the title of the book, and to reiterate that it was written by a doctor (a doctor. He said it twice for emphasis). He told me I should read it because it would change my life.
“Actually,” I wish I could have said. “It wouldn’t.”
What I never told this man was that I am also gluten-free. I’ve been eating that way for about two years now. I cheat sometimes but, for the most part, it makes me feel better, it seems like my body has an easier time digesting my food and it keeps me from eating junk. The problem is, after listening to his little diatribe, it made me want to quit.
It made me want to open the pastry case and eat one of everything.
I’m sorry to say it but your gluten free diet is not going to change the world (unless of course you have Celiac disease, or are legitimately allergic to gluten, then it will probably change your life dramatically). Your new diet is not the golden ticket to changing everything about everything. Neither is your politician, or your church, or your denomination.
It’s just a diet. Just a man. Just a group of people that get together on Sunday morning.
That’s not to say that those things aren’t meaningful, or that they don’t have an impact. It’s just acknowledging the truth about people, places and things. They are just that. People. Places. Things.
They cannot save you. They will not fix you.
They are not the answer to everything.
Have convictions, yes. Life life by those convictions. Even feel free to share your personal convictions with others. But also be willing to admit that you don’t have it all figured out all of the time. Get off your soapbox. I know it’s scary, but it isn’t until we admit that we don’t have the answers that we can recognize the one who does.
Question: Do you know someone with a “soapbox”? How have they tried to convince you they’re right? Have you listened?
Oh, Ally, everyone has a soapbox! (LOL) I’ve done it myself. Kudos to you for remaining so calm and polite. Having worked in retail, albeit many years ago, I know something of how you felt. Interesting that the “customer” walked away without purchasing anything at all…perhaps he simply wasn’t familiar with your store in general. But people like that…even if you’d had the ability to respond as you would have liked, you wouldn’t have convinced him – and it wouldn’t have been your fault.
Lucie — you’re right. No use in arguing with people who are on a soapbox, otherwise you just join them.
This so doesn’t answer your question but does your Starbucks sell black & white muffins? I used to get them all the time & I can never find them anymore. Once I got the 3 left in the case while waiting for a train, one to eat while waiting, one for on the train, one for the car ride home. (Obviously I’m not Gluten free).
I’ve heard the same argument from people lately about Gluten. I don’t engage in the conversation. I don’t buy it personally. But I did go meat free after reading that if everyone cut 10% of their meat consumption no one would go hungry (I know it’s not that simple, but still)
Sarah — we don’t have black and white muffins… bummer! I hate when you find a product you love and then can’t find it anywhere. That’s the worst.
Chances are, this guy (and his book) have a point. I do believe that diet impacts for more than we typically give it credit for, and my digestive health has improved some since I reduced my intake of gluten. I guess I just had a problem with the way his message was communicated.
I like what you said: “It’s not that simple.” Let’s have convictions and ideals. Let’s just not simplify problems that are not simple.
I’m usually the one on the soapbox and I’ve figured out that it’s usually because I’m scared of what I’m doing or scared I will fail. Or scared that I’m wrong. I recently decided to start reducing my dairy consumption to nearly zero and meat as well. I’m juicing, I’m doing yoga. All that jazz. What is different, is that I’m doing it for ME! MY health! MY sanity and frankly, my allergies. Not because I want you to do it with me. There’s a difference between a soapbox and an awakening. I hope that when I speak about food or dog food (that’s when I become extra evil), or spirituality that its only because I’m excited and just want to spread hope or something like that. Its tough being a know-it-all. HA!
Lauren — trust me. I’ve had my share of soapboxes, especially when it comes to health and nutrition. Which is probably why this guy bothered me so much…
It’s hard to find a balance between being excited/sharing your conviction with the world and trying to push your “thing” on other people.
http://goo.gl/gc14J
Heh, I feel this way when people get on their soapboxes about why I should go to college. Maybe it would be a wise investment, maybe it wouldn’t. But I get tired of people thinking that going or not going has everything to do with solving my personal problems or the worlds problems.
Makes me wanna get on a soapbox taller than theirs.
oops.