Clever Sayings And Lessons Learned

By Ana Rasgo

mexico road

 

Have you heard the saying, “if you assume, you make an… out of… yourself.” If you don’t know the phrase, study my example and you will figure it out.

Another saying is, “when I point a finger, three more are pointing back at me.”

I love it when people come up with clever sayings like these. What I don’t enjoy is when I embody those sayings. Like when I visited a restaurant and ordered a sirloin burger on a plate. When the burger came out I was frustrated as they served it with mushrooms. Mushrooms were not listed on the menu! I slid them off my burger and enjoyed the burger. The finest sirloin I have ever eaten.

I did not get sick, so it was safe to say the mushrooms were a garnish and not in the meat. Mushrooms are the only food I have gotten sick on in Third- World countries. It happened in India and in Mexico. So, I stay away from mushrooms even though I loved them in my youth.

Well, I visited the restaurant again and forgot to ask them to hold the mushrooms and fries. I was late for a phone conference and planned to make the meeting while having lunch. This time I was glad I forgot as the fries came with one lovely sweet potato fry on the top, a staple in my keto diet. That one fry was divine.

Fast forward to the evening, I arrived home and snacked on pecans and chocolate; still within my macros. By the time I prepared for bed I was ill. I spent that night gracing the presence of the porcelain gods. I was ill for three days and lost three lbs. I guess the universe was telling me to get serious about losing weight!

But still my mind went to the restaurant in accusation. I bet they put mushrooms in the meat this time! How could they put them in the meat when they are not on the menu? I can tolerate them being on top as a garnish, but not in the meat. I should complain, and on and on my thoughts roamed.

On the fourth day I was feeling a little hungry, so I got the pecans out and ate a few. I noticed a strange taste, but my youngest son ate a few and said nothing, so I thought it was my imagination since I had been sick. Within a few minutes my stomach turned. It felt the same way it had three days ago. I was back with the porcelain gods in no time. I thought my sickness was caused by mushrooms and it was the fault of the restaurant. I realized my mistake while kneeling before the porcelain for the second time. Remember that saying about when one assumes?

I apologize for my negative thoughts and ranting towards this restaurant. Thankfully, my husband and children were the only ones who experienced those rants. But I am bringing my negative thoughts to light in public to help others avoid my mistake.

When I assumed something negative about the restaurant without looking at the facts, I had the potential to harm them. This restaurant, while not including mushrooms on their menu, has never to my knowledge put them into the meat. So, I had no reason to blame them for my sickness.

Also, if I had looked at the facts surrounding the situation, I did not become ill until after I arrived home many hours later. I react to mushrooms much faster than that. It is almost instantaneous. I was visiting a beach town in India and had a pizza with mushrooms one night. Within a half hour I was returning to my hotel room, ill and scared as I was six-months pregnant.

When I had mushrooms here in Mexico, it was in a friend’s dish. I have eaten her food many times. But I tried a mushroom chicken dish that day and was again running home ill. So, the fact is, I react to mushrooms quickly. This was not the case that day.

When my stomach turned that first day, it was only about a half hour after eating the pecans. They were full of mold, but I could not taste it because of the chocolate I was eating with them. I tasted the mold on the second occasion.

I learned two lessons that day.

First, look at the facts and stop reacting to situations. When I look at the facts, I can respond to the situation and not cause another person undue hardship.

Second, instead of pointing fingers at others, I better check my nuts!

 

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