Drawing The Line

With anything, you need to know when to draw the line. Somewhere, there is a specific word for the myopic view I am about to share but I don't know what it is, nor do I care.

I have always been amazed when going to a fast-food caliber Chinese buffet or even at a mall "buy 3 combo plate" Chinese eatery to see people using chopsticks. I have picked on some of you directly and you know who you are. That is just in fun (at least for me). I completely admire the chopsticks and nimbleness required to eat rice and noodles with them. Cool. But, to go to a place where dinner is $7.95 and use them is a little weird.

Even weirder yet, is what I saw in our break room last week.

I see someone heating up a $1.89 Asian meal that is one step above 10 cent raumen. Here, this person stands with chopsticks to eat the mostly water "lunch". Yes, this is one of those where you add water to the line, mix in the mystery spices and oil and microwave. Not only did they have chopsticks but they were the reusable plastic kind. It was so hard not to laugh, point and mock the person. Thinking about our recently attended diversity training, I held back. This is a point where we really need to draw the line!

Here is a counter example. I have been to the homes of many friends from India. There and in many Indian restaurants, I have watched how they will sometimes eat rice with sauce or curry with their hands. This is their custom and should be followed. That does not mean I should do it.

Why does this bug me? I think in this particular situation, the person wants attention. Like someone that has odd tattoos on their face or piercings all over where it is beyond an accessory, I think this is a way to get attention. Be different...make people notice.....get under Lyle's skin!

Yep, some of you think I am a pretty shallow, closed-minded person. Oh well. I can admit where I have a shortcoming but do not understand the need to use chopsticks when we have highly functional forks, spoons and knives sitting right there.