The other day I was having brunch with my friend Jaclyn. We had started to peruse the menu when she suggests, “Perhaps you’d like to share something, we could both get different entrées and then split them.”
“Hmmmm…I’m not a good ‘sharer,’ ” I say. I was just being honest.
“Oh.”
“Sorry. It’s just that I order what I like to eat.”
I then have to continue into the full length version of why I don’t like to share plates at restaurants. This always makes me feel bad. But, over the last few years I’ve had to learn to just be honest about what I want. Jaclyn, as expected, was completely understanding, while others have not been. I guess that some people just find it weird that you wouldn’t want to split your food with them. But, I don’t.
There is a history to this. I’ve been burned…many times…and not by delicious sizzling fajita meat. Rather, burned by people who order twice as much as I do and then want to just split the bill. Or, burned by people who want to split dessert and then proceed to eat basically the whole thing. OK, so I know that I’m really stepping on people’s toes here. But, I’ll admit it. I have food issues. Especially when it comes to money and food. It’s expensive.
All of this has me thinking…am I just being selfish? Am I just a selfish person in general? Are the people who want to share just mooching? Why does this bother me so much? If I just keep on asking questions will I have to answer all of them eventually? Why am I asking so many questions in the first place? Don’t you just hate it when people ask too many questions? Are you getting tired of reading all my questions?
Wow. What just happened there? Damn. I did it again. Sorry. I really am trying to stop asking questions but I just can’t stop. Why is that? Argh.
Sometimes I have to seriously question my sanity. I mean really. I just never know where this blog is going. Food. Moochers. There, I’m back on track. Alrighty then. I don’t think it’s selfish of me to want to pay for only my portion of food, nor do I think that I should be guilted into eating “family style.” I have no problems with sharing my food when I’m done eating. That’s not it all. But, don’t make me eat part of your fish dish that I didn’t want to begin with just so that you can have part of my chicken dish that I was really hungry for.
Wow. I finally got that out. It’s amazing the journey I have to take you on sometimes just to get to my point. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. I’m sure it was tempting to click off my page and curse my name. I feel better now and slightly hungry. Anyone want to go out for lunch? My treat.
tyflyguy 
Your treat, for real? I’m at JAX, headed for Atlanta then Kansas City. Any chance you’re in any of those places so you can buy me lunch? 🙂
I’m ok with sharing meals. It’s movie popcorn that makes me nuts. It’s just not right. I like to pace myself so there’s enough to last through the whole flick, you know?
Gg
TYLER CLARK do you remember me? 🙂 I was at Ozark with you–Amy Dunson but I married Andy Storms. Came across your blog through Andy’s facebook and I just wanted to say hi. We live north of LA in Santa Clarita. (We’ll be flying SW in August…hopefully we’ll see you there. :))
I completely understand about the food, by the way. I don’t share. I think it comes from having three kids who steal everything from me. But even when Andy tries to sneak a bite…anyway…I feel your pain.
OK, that’s freakin’ funny that Amy just commented before me! Dang! I LIKE THE SPOTLIGHT! ME! ME!
uh-oh two people from your past!
Listen, if I’m ever in Cali you’d better take me to a great piano/keroke bar because I’m thinking we could do some mean renditions of “Friends are friends forever”! Still, you’d have to play the piano because a) you were better than me and b) I like the spotlight of singing. just bein’ real