On Not Fitting In
Welcome back to the work week, friends.
The fan in my kitchen has multiplied from one to two, meaning I can no longer hear my own thoughts over the sound of wind. No, Mom, it’s nothing like white noise.
And even with two fans blowing, I still managed to set off my fire alarm yesterday. Twice. Word to the wise, do not put your baking mat in the broiler.
To say I’m feeling slightly annoyed today would be an understatement, but I’ll try to hold it together long enough to talk about feeling like the odd one out.
You know, like when you admit to your table of 4th grade peers that you don’t know what Kiss FM is because you and your mom like to listen to “golden oldies” on Kool 105.
Or when you tell someone you don’t and never have liked the show Friends.
Or when you mention going on a 6-mile run before work and your co-workers stare at your like you’ve lost your mind.
Yeah, I guess I’m no stranger to the feeling of not fitting in.
I could be all “rah-rah, I’m unique!” but in all honesty, it can be really hard feeling like I’m the only person my age who cares about eating quality food (most of the time at least) or exercising.
Equally hard, is not coming off like a “food bitch” when someone asks me “should I go to Taco Bell or Wendy’s for dinner?” Neither?
Am I jealous that you’re eating Easy Mac and I brought homemade leftovers? Not really.
What do you mean you haven’t eaten today, it’s 4 PM!
And call it my own insecurity, but I feel slightly out of place when I’m the only one who brings a sack lunch to work.
Where are my fellow lunch packers??
Or when I’m not exactly thrilled to be handed a cup full of chocolate whipped cream and a spoon. Although chocolate whipped cream is kind of genius.
Or when I’m not daydreaming of eating a pretzel hot dog for dinner.
This is the part where I tell you I just wrote this post for an excuse to use my favorite comic ever.
I ❤ the hummus dinosaur.
Just kidding. But in all seriousness, I want to be able to relate to the people I work with, I just don’t know how 😦
How can I be truthful about my lifestyle without coming off as being above everyone who dreams of pretzel hotdogs?
And where can I have these “odd one out” photos framed and displayed in my apartment?
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Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in?
How do you deal with those feelings?
Lauren Loves Good Food 
I definetly feel that way sometimes! I love the oldies station and always ALWAYS pack my lunch! That’s what I lovee about the blog world, there are other people and foodies just like you! It makes you feel less out of place (even when you are perfeclty normal, you are YOU!) 🙂
That’s definitely one of the many appeals of the blog world. Oldies or bust!
First of all, that dinosaur comic literally made me laugh out loud. And if it makes you feel any better, I pack a lunch every day. As a matter of fact, when people ask if I want them to pick me up something, like Taco Beezy, or McShitties, I usually make some gross face and say some snide remark about how they use the lowest quality meat available. Which is most likely the reason they can sell a hamburger for a dollar. Lauren, don’t feel like you need to have similar eating habbits just to “fit in”. I do love all these pictures, but you should not feel different just because you are making better, smarter choices. If anything, embrace it.
You rock. Nuff said.
Also, I laughed out loud at “McShitties.”
Sure, I think we all do.
I feel like I’m always the disciplined planner type and everyone else touts being free as the best thing ever. Blah, I like my schedule and it works.
One of the things I like best about you Shanna is that you are so sure of yourself! I ❤ it.
I’m sorry you’re feeling this way! I OFTEN feel like I don’t fit in. It’s hard not having peers my age that are married or that would rather be at home cooking a big meal than out bar hopping. I’m not really that great at dealing with it so I don’t really have good advice. But I try to remember that a lot of time people our age are figuring out what it means to be an adult and be responsible and a lot of them literally don’t give a crap how they are living and what they are putting into their bodies. Eventually, they will get it. At least I hope so. Just think of yourself as being way ahead of the curve. 🙂
We both are 🙂
hahaha I love the hummus dinosaur!!! And I totally feel you girl. Honestly, the blog world is the only place that doesn’t make me feel CRAZY About my food habits!
I was lucky to go to school in Boulder where there were lots of other health crazy, lunch packing, exercise loving people, but I do feel quite on my own at work.
The first picture creeps me out a little bit 🙂 I try to pack lunch but I can’t figure out what I want to take! I definitely feel you on the standing out in a crowd of unhealthy eaters though. It’s super hard as a teenager, because all my friends want to eat is literal junk. My best friend has been quoted many times saying “Well, I don’t like anything healthy”.
I don’t mind though. Pictures like those get me through it 😉
Doesn’t it look like cells under a microscope or something?? I bet it’s even harder as a teenager 😦 You’ve got the right attitude though 🙂
That was me in high school.. I did not get along with ANYONE, esp. girls my age.
They were probably just all jealous that you rode a motorcycle and ran marathons 🙂
I can so relate to these feelings!! All through high school I pretended to be things I wasnt just so I would fit in!! Now that I know im and exercise/ health nut, I embrace it. Sometimes they do make fun of me for always getting the salad or fat free icecream. But some of my friends are catching on to my lifestyle as well. Even if people dont understand, thats why I love having a blog. i always know people in the foodie world wiil accept me even if I do cover my brussel sprouts in ketchup 🙂
I cover everything in ketchup!
Haha I love all of the pictures!
But in all seriousness I completely understand where you’re coming from!!
Back at high school I never felt too out of place because most of my friends ate pretty healthily and they knew all about my food preferences. However since getting to uni where nearly everyone eats pretty, well, badly (sorry guys!), I’ve felt like the odd one out.
My flatmates do occasionally make fun of me for it, like yesterday when we were arranging a kind of weekly rota and I asked to not be included in the bread one because I don’t eat white bread they all looked at me like I’m crazy!
To be honest though, I don’t care that much, I’d rather be healthy and enjoy my food 🙂
I didn’t feel out of place in high school because I was eating hot cheetos and cream cheese along with everyone else. Oh high school. Sometimes you have to just ignore the crazy looks.
I always bring my lunch, everywhere I go and I’ve definitely gotten some strange looks. I used to take tuna and rye crackers for my lunch and my coworkers would say I was eating cat food and cardboard. Seriously? Have some more fries and gravy.
But I think as you get older more of your peers will start to clue in to the fact that they should be putting better things into their bodies. You just got a head start and are probably making people in your lunch room think twice about what they’re eating.
Bahaha! You’re right, eating healthy does set a good example.
I love love love your writing! and you are just ahead of the curve (which sometimes is a lonely place to be). Enjoy your head start. 🙂
Sheila
Thanks you so much, Sheila!
I totally realte to how you feel sometimes. I very often get comments about what/how I eat. I simply tell the person not to comment. I do not comment about their food choices so I don’t find it appropriate that they comment about mine. After all should I have red hair just because the person next to me does?? I simply inform people that my eating habits are a part of me like eye color and hair color. People don’t expect me to change that just to be more like them so I shouldn’t have to deal with them wanting to change the way I eat. It usually helps….oh and I put it in a nice way not a snotty bitchy way 🙂
You rock, Helen.
And yes, yes you should have red hair because the person next to you does. Just kidding, I just always wanted to be a red head 😛
Love the hummus dinosaur!!!
I have an idea! You should make some of your favorite healthy treats and share them with your co-workers. Then they can better understand where you are coming from. I know what it’s like to feel like you can’t relate to people you are around a lot, and I know how sad that feels. Trying to find a common ground is helpful, and I bet sharing the food love will do just that!
That is *such* a great idea! Thanks, girl 🙂
I felt like that for a long time which is one of the reasons why I started my blog – there wer just so many people out there like meeee!