must be nice

So there I was at lunch today, just minding my own business while sharing lunch with some of my colleagues and a few common but awkwardly coincidental topics came up, money and weight management (aka being fat or not). So over the course of our discussion everyone was discussing their Thanksgiving holiday plans, probably just like every other table in the cafeteria. Most everyone was just taking the day of Thanksgiving off and would be working every other day next week including Friday. I didn't say anything but must have been silently shaking my head. So of course I get, "alright smart ass what are you doing?" At what seemed like an very innocent moment I told them that I was leaving by car Saturday for Portland, OR via Big Sur, CA to visit my sister, then over to Montana to visit my folks, and then back home through Denver to hopefully visit friends. To me this sounds reasonable and pretty inexpensive (were driving and staying with family). At this point I get a barrage of, "wow someone is made of money", "wish I could afford to take another week off(in reference to the trip to Canada)" and last but not least "must be nice". Now if dealing with some of my friends I could be sympathetic to this for known reasons but these people are grown men making way more money than I. Yes some have kids, families, etc, but I have a house, a wife, two cars, pay for health insurance, and have to save money just like the next guy. So why is it when you decide to buy a used Honda from your mother-in-law and a house that not in some swanky neighborhood so you can have a life, people make you out to be a high roller. So my priorities are different, shoot me, I prefer 5 weeks of vacation a year as oppose to driving a Lexus, or living in Scottsdale, if you don't agree, fine but keep it to yourself already.

Onto the next subject, I haven't exactly been on stringent diet lately but Fridays I have a tendency to let go a little more than any other time, except for maybe vacation. So today I was enjoying a turkey and cheese sandwich (shocker), ice tea, Sun Chips, and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Yeah I know not healthy but delicious. Anyway everyone else is pounding down a cheeseburger, soda, and fries and I made a comment, "That looks good, I should of got that instead, but this is probably best." (in reference to the turkey sandwich) Oh here comes the barrage again, "like you need to worry", "you can eat whatever you want", oh yes and "must be nice." Well you know what? It is nice not to morbidly obese, I'll admit that but its not because I'm gifted or lucky. Hell I ballooned up 40 pounds after landing my first desk job, that wasn't nice at all. The truth is its nice that E keeps me in nutritional check (salmon and broccoli last night) and I have a somewhat active lifestyle unlike most of my peers. I guess what makes me bitter is that just because I'm not overweight doesn't mean I don't have to work at it or its easy for me or thin people in general. Honestly its not, I love junk food probably as much, if not more than 90% of the people on this planet and was raised to eat it in Montana size portions (that is large for those of you who don't know). So I'm fighting 18 years of training and all the same temptations the rest of the world is too. So next time you think it must be nice, get up and run for 5 miles before work, go on a 17 mile hike on the weekend, hit the climbing gym for 3 hours, or enjoy a turkey burger on 12 grain, with broccoli and strawberries for dinner instead of just assuming some people have it easy and for you its impossible.