Peas & Carrots: I'm in a Pickle

Ever gone to lunch with friends
who know each other in one group very well,
and friends who know each other in another group very well
and you find yourself somewhere in the middle?

That happened to me recently.
One group of lovely women
discussing another mutual friend's choice
(who btw wasn't there, nor do I know that person)--
let's say her choice of "peas"--
"Why?!", they exclaimed,
"I could never eat peas! Never. Such an inferior choice,
when there are obviously better choices in vegetables, such as carrots!
Never. Poor thing, she just doesn't know better, that's got to be it!"

The hair on the back of my neck stood up,
when I noticed my friends on the other side of the table
go suddenly quiet and I knew why.
One most certainly loves peas,
and has been eating peas successfully for many years.
She tried carrots, but they didn't agree with her.
She baked them, boiled them, sauteed them in rich, creamery butter,
but they still gave her heartburn.
The other friend has children who decided years ago
that carrots just don't do it for them.
Nevermind that their mother served up carrots in delicious and attractive ways--
they thumbed their noses up at them,
and instead chose peas over carrots.
Instead of deciding to never serve her children a meal again,
she made the conscious choice to respect their taste for peas,
and learned how to use peas in her favorite recipes--
because she learned along the way that
it's not what's served at the table,
but whose sitting around it that's the most important to her.

So,
back to lunch:
I sat there listening to one ignorant group blasting "peas"
not knowing there were some "pea-loving" friends
sitting quietly in their midst
and I panicked a little inside.
Not wanting to cause a scene or embarrass either group,
I put my hand on a non-pea-lover's knee,
to quieten her, as lovingly as I could
and raised my voice just a little,
enough so that everyone could hear me:

"You know, I love carrots. I do. But I can tell you that in my experience,
if carrots don't agree with you, then peas are just as good a choice!"

The carrot lovers agreed. IN sentiment at least. They haven't had to ever choose between
carrots that make you ill to peas that fill you up and make you happy.

The silent pea-minority said nothing.


I have no problem with peas.
Or carrots.
I've chosen carrots for myself,
but if pressed,
I can see myself choosing peas too.
My children thus far,
have decided that they too,
like carrots.

What I came away with was this:
be careful in what you declare to be unsavory on your plate,
because
hunger dictates alot more than you may think.

Now, rutabagas, that a whole 'nother thing.

So, what did you do when this happened to you?