work, junk fod, and perception
So today's my first day back to work after my surgery on 12/18. I have to admit, I'm totally productive, totally happy, but I know I'm going to sleep REALLY WELL tonight! I really missed being here, so I cut my vacation short a couple of days.
My team really kicks butt. The day after my surgery they sent me a nice get well gift (a throwback atari system with a ton of games pre-loaded!) and cards. Pretty much all of them knew what was going on- I'm not one to hide much. They ran interference for me here at work so I didn't come back to a disaster and did an awesome job. However, a bunch of folks NOT on my team found out I was out of office. I never mentioned it to them, and my team wouldn't tell them why- they just said I was "sick" and would be back in a few days.
So I arrived back to my office full of hot chocolate, soda, and pretty much every kind of candy and junk food I've ever expressed a desire for.
I actually had to laugh. I feel awesome that people who don't work with me daily thought of me so well to try and help me feel better. I was a bit sad though in one respect. It really clarified to me what all that junk food represented- that was how they see me. To them, the best possible thing someone could do to make me feel better is give me more food, and terrible food at that. It's a hell of a comment on me as a person.
So that's my New Year's Resolution. Not to lose weight (although I want to), but to change people's perception of me from a junk food vacuum to a healthy person for whom food of any kind is not a primary descriptor. Next time I'm out (God forbid) and people want to send a get well gift, I want them to send something else- anything else- but junk food. If by the end of this year people don't immediately associate me with food I'll have considered it a good year.
If that is successful, the secondary benefits will work themselves out!
Great resolution! I'm so glad my job involves very little interaction with my co-worker for this reason.
That being said, some members of my husbands side of the family ALWAYS give gifts of some kind of food for holidays. In there defense they don't know I had surgery, but it was still awful to open up a box this year with the following:
Huge tin of multi-flavored popcorn, two kinds of gourmet cookies, a box of Turtles, and a container of dark chocolate dipped biscotti. That so insane! I actually don't have a problem with sweets (no sweet tooth) but that doesn't mean I am eating this stuff. Thankfully, my hubby had a pot-luck on New Years Day at his job and along with the dish he signed up for I send him with all of those goodies. I didn't need them in the house to be tempted with even one.
My FIL is always sending us candy & stuff, too, which I've always hated, and I either give this away or simply throw it in the trash. I feel bad wasting it sometimes, but we didn't ask for any of it and didn't want any of it.
I think I'm going to drop hints all year that we are serious about living healthier and hopefully next year we won't get a bunch of junk. :) Thanks for sharing!
