One day some time ago I was chasing my very active son in a school yard waiting to pick up my daughter.  Another Mom was sitting in her vehicle leisurely perusing a magazine and she put down her window and exclaimed, “You should be as thin as a rail chasing him all day!”  Translation:  You are not thin.  Further extrapolation:  You are fat.  Like when Donald Trump says, “You’re fired!” with the emphasis on fired.  You’re fired.  You’re fat.  It was an insult wrapped in, well, another insult.  From a total stranger.  Sometimes offenders are clever enough to veil the insult in a glossy fake compliment. Not this time.

In this case, I didn’t have time to reply.  Nor really the desire.  I am not a confrontational person to begin with.  But I am not a pushover either.  In another lifetime, sitting around and volleying insults with this stranger might be a good time, but in this one, I am trying to enjoy myself!  And frankly, I am too busy.  My father always advises, “In one ear and out the other”.  But I reply, “Ahhhh, Dad, my brain is between my ears.”

I logically know that “Thin as a rail” is just an expression.  I also want to believe this unknown observer was just saying something and it probably wasn’t meant in malice.  I want to believe that.  She wanted to make a connection with me and chose the wrong words.  It should be no big deal.  No pun intended.  But maybe not.  You never quite know what someone’s motivation is, right?  And a year or so later, here I am talking about it.  I guess the message to all humanoids (especially our children) is we had better be careful how we choose our words.  Just saying…..ciao for now….

My son certainly sees my appendages as “thin as a rail”!