What an ass-umption…
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What an ass-umption…

What’s that saying? “Assumption… it makes an ass out of you and me”. Well, I was on the receiving end of a major targeted verbal passive aggressive assumption while eating lunch in Barwon Heads. Let me explain.

After a coffee in Ocean Grove and some soul satisfying widow shopping (Christmas SERIOUSLY drained my bank account), I decided on lunch in Barwon Heads. I’d seen Hanoi Kitchen dozens of times driving back from my Fitcamp session with Flick PT. So, I found a park and made my way in for some Vietnamese food goodness in and around my mouth.

I sat in a corner booth, armed with my latest read “Emma Isaacs Winging It”. I have 2018 projects that started in 2017 and tbh, it’s depressing to say “when I had the idea TWO YEARS AGO”. So after ordering my rice paper rolls, I opened up to page 41, ready for Emma to inspire me and kick my butt into 2019.

In that time an American Grandmother, American Mum and her young son (about six years old) sat down at the table next to me. I only notice them when I heard them ask the waitress what would be quick to make, as “they had an event to go to and only had limited time to eat”.

I went back to reading Emma’s explanation of ‘winging it’. Every few minutes I’d take another bite of food and think about what I just read. I’d glance up from the pages and think about how I would apply the advice Emma had so openly shared, into my own life.

Suddenly I hear the American mum say quite loudly, “I know… it’s SOOOO rude to stare.” The Grandmother follows up with “you can bring your child to a restaurant. We can talk normally in a restaurant. Just ignore her”. “I’m a single mum doing the best I can” the woman replies.

With a mouth full of calamari (yes, I ordered that too… I was bloody hungry) and my head still in my book, I thought to myself ‘how disrespectful, someone making this family feel uncomfortable just for eating out’.

I continued reading when I heard more venomous comments from the American family. Curious I took a cheeky sideways glance to find the source of their anger. They were looking at ME! Woah, I was the target of their frustration. I held the book in front of my face and thought ‘why are they having a go at me? I’m sitting in the corner of the restaurant, reading my book, minding my own business”.

Should I confront their accusations? Should I ease their suspicions?

I didn’t. And I’m ok with that. I shouldn’t have to defend myself against someone else’s assumptions. I wasn’t “staring” or “judging them”. But what difference would that have made? They jumped to a conclusion. They made a scene from the top of their high horse. They were rude. They left. And I continued to eat my delicious calamari.

So, here we are. Welcome to 2019. Please leave your Judgey McJudge pants at the restaurant door.
Stampsy x

(Stampsy is on the socials so get around her @lee_stamps on Insta & StampsyKROCK on the book!)

Stampsy is the Music Director and Drive Announcer at K Rock in Geelong