Spinach Man. or Anti-Spinach Man, as it were. This guy said he didn't want a salad because he can't stand any kind of lettuce. So I offered him the soup instead. Well the Minestrone was no good because it's a vegetable soup. And the Italian Wedding soup wouldn't work because the description in the menu says it has spinach in it. Now I assure the guy that you can't even really tell there's spinach in it at all. You can't taste spinach. I should know. I have had like 5 bowls of it in the last 3 days. So he says he guesses he will give it a try, but he is ever remaining skeptical. His body language tells me that he is not going to eat it anyway.

I bring it out and immediately his face turns sour as he sees the little green flecks floating in the soup. I say, "You won't even be able to taste the spinach." and he points out that you can see it though. He doesn't eat it.

Later I tell him a story about how I used to be a picky eater like him, and then one day I enjoyed a sandwich from Schlotsky's Deli with everything on it. Tomatoes, lettuce, the works. And what I realized that fateful day was that the ingredients in a good meal come together to make up a food experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. When I eat a turkey sandwich I don't taste lettuce or tomato or turkey by itself. I taste a Turkey sandwich. It's a unique pairing of ingredients. Somebody with better taste than my limited self had prior to trying it, found out that when you combine all of these wonderful things you get something really delicious.

He then has to tell me about how even if he is at a fast food restaurant and they accidentally put lettuce on his burger and then just scrape it off, he has to have a whole new burger because he can still taste the faint remnants of lettuce odor.

At this point I realize that he is one of those people who subscribe to a way of life just so they can constantly complain and persistently draw attention upon themselves in any given outing. Some of my vegan acquaintances are the same way. I know there are people who are vegan because they truly believe in that way of life, and are devoted to it for "the right reasons". However, it is my opinion that some of these people just like to be difficult. They enjoy being the center of attention for the time they are at the dinner table with others. If they can whine and complain about how some restaurant "doesn't have anything" they can eat, then they are on cloud 9. I believe this because this is the national past time of the ones I am speaking of. The real vegans don't tend to complain as much. They know that the dietary choice they have made comes with some consequences and they quietly try to make due, especially when out in public and with others who may be non-vegan. They aren't showy about it. I like that.

This guy was an attention seeker. He loved being able to complain on and on about how places are always trying to force feed him some vegetables. What is wrong with people like that? Don't they see that they are not intelligent and that they should just get with the program and enjoy delicious foods? Especially when said foods are so good for your body. Yumm.

Thank you Mr. Anti-Spinach Man. You really made my night a little crummier tonight.