Monday Mary and I were in the Fresh Market food store. The green beans looked wnderful so I stood at the table and started hand picking 32 perfect, straight beans. Before I had finished a middle aged lady stood across the table from me and commented that the beans were always so good here. “And,” she continued. “They are half the price of the beans at the store across the street.”
I agreed that they were always good. She then stated that she wasn’t sure if they were “Organic.”
I should have had sense enought to stop the conversation there ,but I had studied enough chemistry to know that all beans except those that are fossils are organic. So I said, They don’t look inorganic to me.”
“I dont think it makes any difference for beans,” she commented.
“I read in a pediatic journal that it doesn’t make any difference for any fruit or vegetable.” I replied.
“Oh yes it does!” she retorted. Then she paused, looked at me and said with rancor in her voice. “You’re a doctor aren’t you! Well that explains it!” She grabbed her bag of beans and stomped off, turned to me and shouted “Hail Lucifer!!”
At that point I was glad she didn’t have a gun, or Mary would have had to charge her with a “Hate crime.” And, I was speech less!
But more important, I started to wonder why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut!
I think it was Mark Twain, or some other smart guy who said, “A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.” I’m sure that applies to women, too. So my lesson to myself is stop trying to inform others when their agreement or disagreement doesn’t amount to a, pardon the pun, “hill of beans”.