On a typical weekday afternoon, my friends and I break for lunch. Many of us do not bring our lunch; we normally walk to an adjoining building that hosts a cafeteria. After buying lunch, we walk back to our building to the familiar kitchen table where we sit together. This process only takes a few minutes, and we’ll eventually end up on the same table chatting during lunch. One friend consistently brings her lunch, and when appropriate, brings sharp utensils. This amuses me.
During one such lunch, a topic of conversation came up. I honestly can’t remember what we discussed. However, I do remember that this conversation, or specifically a friend’s response, distressed me. I reacted as you might expect: I became agitated. I raised my voice. I minimized her position. It was ugly.