It was the 20th class reunion for these millennials. Their generation, those born between 1981 and 1996, was so named because they’d be the first generation to reach adulthood in the new millennium. In their 38 years, they had witnessed and lived through a lot.
Like every other generation, life experience and the steady march of time had changed them. In some, change was barely noticeable. In others, you could see it; it wasn’t significant, but it was noticeable. And then there were those who seemed to have gone through a transformation, akin to a total make over. She was one of those.
Most anyone who knew her in high school would have described her as friendly but shy. She was a better-than-average student. Although she may not have been in what her parents’ generation would have called the “in crowd,” she had friends and got along with her classmates. She was in some clubs, and she played volleyball. If there really ever is such a thing as a typical student, she’d fit that description.
She missed their 10th reunion, but her name came up. She had just recently begun writing a column on local and regional restaurants that appeared in the city newspaper. Her column was informative in nature. She provided a little history of the restaurant, a menu overview, location, operating hours, and contact information. She’d mention specials, unique events, and menu item for which they were know. Her columns normally followed a visit. She always thanked the owner and closed with some positive comment. Her column was titled, Time to Eat. Her friends were happy for her.
Over the next ten years, her column grew in popularity. She was picked up by additional newspapers. Saturday mornings she did a restaurant summary on a local radio station, which led to a blog and a podcast. That’s when she changed her focus and the name of her column to Cathy’s Culinary Critiques. Instead of offering summaries, she now focused on opinionated assessments. When approached for a national syndication she accepted.
Based on directives from producers and pressure from sponsors, her critiques became analytical, even a bit bitey. (Pun intended!) Increasingly more of her comments were caustic in nature. She came under fire for some remarks about ethnic cuisine that were just out of line. If you looked at her reporting over time, there was an increasing negativity, and no resulting decline in her popularity. She was developing a reputation for her harsh reviews, her jabs at specific establishments, and her criticism of the food service industry in general. That same shift in focus crept into her personal life. Family and friends had noticed it. When they mentioned it to her, she brushed it off saying they were jealous or didn’t understand her work. Nevertheless, she was changing and it was obvious. At her 20th reunion, she got a wake-up call.
Instead of being happy to enjoy the company of her classmates and share a pleasant evening together, she opted to put her critic’s wit to work. She had a little something negative to say about anything anyone introduced into the conversation. When there was a lag, she quickly came up with something unfavorable to add. Clearly, she was not the person they remembered from high school. Initially no one chose to rebut her comments. Maybe she was just having a bad day.
She offered a full critique of the meal, everything from hors d’ oeuvres right through to dessert, which she termed “disgusting.” The classmate who had arranged the meal was sitting at her table. He was visibly upset, but said nothing. Then she crossed the line. In an effort to show her prowess as a foodie, she offered another classmate some help with a weight issue. Even though she had no training or experience as a nutritionist, she said, “Looks like you haven’t missed many meals since high school; I could help you if you’d like.” Wow, no one including the guy she was talking to knew what to say. She then broke the silence with “We’re all responsible for what food and drink does to our image.”
So as not to create any more uncomfortableness at their table, yet address feelings that had obviously been hurt, another classmate picked up the conversation. “Yes, there certainly does seem to be good reason to be mindful of the impact of what we eat and drink. It’s also important to be mindful of the impact of what we write and say.” With an abrupt adieu, Cathy excused herself.
It’s prudent to choose wisely what goes into our mouth—your food and drink. With the same thoughtful prudence, choose wisely what comes out of your mouth—your thoughts and sentiments!
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