Where Have All My Enablers Gone?

Before I started changing my diet (not to be confused with the dreaded "going on a diet" - they are different), planning my meals, and packing food for the week, or at the very least the day, I used to be notorious for not bringing food to work.  I never thought about it the night or weekend before.  In the morning, I either didn't want to or did not have enough time to bother with it.  The only thing I remembered to do on a consistent basis was bring a yogurt for breakfast. 

Lunch always consisted of a scavenger-hunt-like game that I played to see if I could scrounge up a meal.  It usually started with me looking in the refrigerator and freezer for some samples that our vendors might have left behind the last time they visited.  Many a meal consisted of some packaged burrito, sandwich, or mystery meat concoction.  My next option would be a feeble attempt to search the refrigerator again hoping that maybe I had brought something to work previously and just forgotten about it.  I won't give you the success percentage of this option, but suffice it to say that it was a very miniscule number.  That was usually followed by a trip back to my desk to see if I had anything in one of my drawers that would satiate me.  That drawer was rarely the answer and usually had some vegetables and tuna that were five to ten years old and maybe some packages of top ramen.  Inevitably I would end up back in the lunch room to check one more time... with the final option of a cup of popcorn or having to leave the office to grab something becoming more likely.  I guess I was hoping that maybe a vendor had left something since the last time I visited or one of the onsite meetings with provided lunch had ended and the remaining food had been brought up to the vultures.  On many occasion, one of my co-workers would have something they weren't eating or be kind enough to offer me some food, most likely because they saw me wandering around like a lost puppy looking for table scraps.  

The person who came to my rescue the most was always Leana.  Leana would let me know, even before the sad face, that she had made a bunch of burritos and they were in the freezer.  Leana would tell me that she and her husband had gone to Taco Casa and she had part of her stuffed sopapilla left.  Leana would make green chile specifically planning to share it with me.  And, Leana would make runs to Burger King or other fast food places and make sure that she stopped in to see if I wanted anything while she was out.  And, let me add that I was always and am still thankful to her for that.

Leana wasn't alone.  Many others have been kind to me over the years.  Dave would bring in sausage biscuits from McDonald's in the mornings.  Russ would get me out of the office most Monday mornings for a bite at The Sunset Inn, Kuan's Kitchen, Pass Key, or Musso's... or some other places that were equally as healthy as the ones mentioned.

Today, Leana went to Taco Casa.  I asked her where she had lunch and she told me.  I thought to myself that it sounded pretty good.  Mexican food is still one of my biggest weaknesses and, at that moment, I actually craved it just a little.  I asked if she had brought back what she hadn't finished and she told me no.  Over the last several Taco Casa visits, she has stopped bringing back her leftovers because she doesn't eat her leftovers.  That leaves only me as a potential candidate to help her with that.  Well, Leana doesn't want to contribute to my dilemna any longer.

At that moment, I realized the power of this blog!  I am sure part of the decline in food offers I have gotten over the last couple of months is because all of these friends care about me and want to help.  I am sure that Lori and Kelsea have mentioned Mi Ranchito's less because they really know we shouldn't go or don't want it as badly.  But, I also know, and Leana confirmed, that a large part of the change is because these people are afraid of being mentioned in my blog.  They not only do not want to be enablers, they really don't want to be called out as an enabler in this space!  I knew by her reaction that I was right.  Nothing wrong with that either.  While I am 99.9% sure that I wouldn't have eaten any of her leftovers today, I am 100% sure I won't eat them if they are not in the building.  I am 100% sure that a sausage biscuit is not as tempting when it is not even offered to me.  So, thank you to all of you who have quietly changed how you interact with me.  That was not my intent.  But, it is a good thing anyway.  I appreciate the love... and the fear.  Here's to friends, family, loved ones, and co-workers (who may or may not fit any of the first three categories), being on your side and helping you to help you...  (thanks Jerry Maguire!)

By the way, this is my 100th post.  If you are still following along, THANKS!