What Kind of a Question Was THAT??

So I'm sitting quietly in church yesterday, trying to mind my own business, as has been my habit of late, and a friend sidles up to me and asks, "So..... are you keeping the weight off?" I'll let the reader chew on that for a minute while I give some background. I began a serious weight loss campaign in mid June of this summer. Since then, in two and a half months, I've lost right around 30 pounds. I call the program, of my own creation, EBL/EBM for Eat Better and Less; Exercise Better and More. My ultimate goal is to lose another 20 or so pounds and then rebuild my body and keep it in shape. I've been very judicious about watching what I eat, minding portions, and I'm working out six days a week. So far things have gone quite well, and, while I've still got a bit of excess weight, I feel SO much better and, I hope, look better as well.

So this guy asks this question, and I guess my reaction was a bit obvious. He quickly added, "Or are you still losing?" To which I replied, perhaps a bit curtly- "Yes- still losing." He then kindly added, "You're an inspiration to my wife and I." But I could never get away from that first question! Why do people relish so much the failure of others, that they almost wish it upon them?

I AM still losing weight and I WILL meet my other goals, but questions like that just irritate me. It reminds me of the classic Don Henley song, "Dirty Laundry." "It's interesting when people die- give us dirty laundry."

It seems that so many in our populace now crave the failure-- no crave to to be a witness to the failure- of others. Reality shows flood the airwaves; tabloids scream at you from the checkout stands; and there's not a lot of local gossip about the GOOD deeds Mrs. Jones did last weekend. Why can't we savor the success of others rather than froth at the failure?

While I know not many people read this blog, I'd like to challenge those that do to congratulate someone today on a job well done. Give them a sense of encouragement and accomplishment and let me know, if you wouldn't mind, of the reaction you get. Perhaps we can begin to "pay it forward" and create at least a little ripple of encouragement and genuine esprit. Let's learn to encourage those around us and ask the NICE questions!