A former co-worker joked that he didn't like others eating foods he disliked. He disapproved of salad, Chinese food, Swiss cheese, and honey mustard.
"You like Swiss cheese?" he once asked. "That's the only type of cheese I don't like. You're wrong in your opinion of Swiss cheese!"
Another time, when I was eating a salad, he walked past and said, "Now, that's just rude."
"What if I feel like eating salad outside of the office?" I asked. "What should I do then?"
"Call first," he responded.
"What if I ever feel like eating a salad, and you're not available to grant approval by phone?" I asked sarcastically.
"Well, maybe we could work out a voucher system--for five salads a year without permission," he answered.
Another time, I emailed him, asking, "I was thinking of having spaghetti for lunch. Is that on the list of forbidden foods? I'm not sure because we've never talked about spaghetti."
"I love spaghetti," he wrote back, "so you can leave that off the list."
It occurs to me that I've eaten salad, Swiss cheese, and honey mustard over the past week, but I took the renegade route. I didn't call first. Naturally, I aim to please, but...I have my limits.
