Ice cream sandwiches and cube steaks
Checking out at the grocery store this morning I found myself behind an elderly woman. On the conveyor belt were eight boxes of ice cream sandwiches, multiple boxes of a specific granola bar, and more cans of Del Monte sliced pears than I could readily count. As the checker finished her order a guy from the meat department materialized bearing at least 5 trays of cube steaks. All this was carefully placed into reusable bags and a friendly cart-herder trundled off to help her get her groceries to her car.
I find humans endlessly fascinating. What compelled this woman's purchase? She might just be a little eccentric, someone who really really enjoys eating the same foods. I wondered if she was feeding others with her haul, and if so, who and how. Does she feed her shut-in neighbors? Neighborhood kids? Donate to a food ministry?
Just a few minutes before I had been in the bread aisle, perusing the honey options while a delightfully stereotypical person (severe mien, pants pulled up too far, etc.) harangued a poor stock boy about the four sugars in X brand of whole wheat bread. My mind went straight to amused judgey-mode. I mean, healthy eating is a worthy goal, but sheesh. Ice-cream-sandwich-and-cube-steak woman, however, reminded me that our quick judgements may miss an entire world of possibility. Maybe wheat-bread-conspiracy lady had health problems that could be exacerbated by all those added sugars. Perhaps she mourned someone lost to diabetes. We just never know the stories behind peoples' seemingly odd behaviors.
Will ice-cream-sandwich-and-cube-steak woman cure me of judgemental thoughts? Not likely, given my terminal case of humanity. We make judgements for a whole host of reasons. Sometimes it's important to judge so we can keep ourselves or our loved ones safe. This morning's grocery visit, however, was a useful reminder that we rarely, if ever, have the complete picture. Recognizing that should temper our thoughts and our hearts with a healthy leavening of forbearance. Ice-cream-sandwich-and-cube-steak woman, wheat-bread-conspiracy lady, me, and you -- all children of God. This world is a delightfully peculiar place, and we're the chief reason why. Thanks be to God for our diversity.
I find humans endlessly fascinating. What compelled this woman's purchase? She might just be a little eccentric, someone who really really enjoys eating the same foods. I wondered if she was feeding others with her haul, and if so, who and how. Does she feed her shut-in neighbors? Neighborhood kids? Donate to a food ministry?
Just a few minutes before I had been in the bread aisle, perusing the honey options while a delightfully stereotypical person (severe mien, pants pulled up too far, etc.) harangued a poor stock boy about the four sugars in X brand of whole wheat bread. My mind went straight to amused judgey-mode. I mean, healthy eating is a worthy goal, but sheesh. Ice-cream-sandwich-and-cube-steak woman, however, reminded me that our quick judgements may miss an entire world of possibility. Maybe wheat-bread-conspiracy lady had health problems that could be exacerbated by all those added sugars. Perhaps she mourned someone lost to diabetes. We just never know the stories behind peoples' seemingly odd behaviors.
Will ice-cream-sandwich-and-cube-steak woman cure me of judgemental thoughts? Not likely, given my terminal case of humanity. We make judgements for a whole host of reasons. Sometimes it's important to judge so we can keep ourselves or our loved ones safe. This morning's grocery visit, however, was a useful reminder that we rarely, if ever, have the complete picture. Recognizing that should temper our thoughts and our hearts with a healthy leavening of forbearance. Ice-cream-sandwich-and-cube-steak woman, wheat-bread-conspiracy lady, me, and you -- all children of God. This world is a delightfully peculiar place, and we're the chief reason why. Thanks be to God for our diversity.
Comments
Post a Comment