How Much Do You Weigh?

I brought my luggage here, to this very scale at Publix, before leaving on an international journey several years ago. The in-country flights were said to be very strict in terms of what each piece of luggage may weigh, and since I always overpack I knew I’d be pushing it to the absolute limit.

I took my bags to this large, freight/animal-like scale Publix at least a couple of times so I would be certain that I had everything I could possibly want without incurring over-the-limit fees. Yes, it’s true, I only used one-quarter of the stuff I hauled on six flights where I did have to manage my own luggage in addition to one highly resistant child, but that’s not what this post is about.

Every time I come into the store now, I remember those days fondly. It was such fun, planning for that trip. These days, my kids elbow each other aside to be first onto the scale, checking their body weight along with all the old people doing the same thing. For all the world to see.

I never see a woman like me getting onto the LARGE and PUBLIC scale to check her weight for the fun of it.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a public weigh-in. Who am I to dissuade you?

But the day I get on that thing is the day you’ll know it’s time to take me in for a mental status examination. I prefer to do my weigh-ins in the privacy of my own bathroom, or under duress, at the doctor’s office. Imagine: once I declined to get on the scale and the aide wrote refused on my chart. It made me sound so…obstinate. I was very polite. I clearly remember saying ‘no, thank you.’

No matter how charming iPhone’s new Best Camera app makes this scale appear. No matter how charming.

Comments

  1. Drawn to The Sea says:

    This is so funny. When I was in elementary school, Daddy would drive us down to the lobby of some public building that was well lit & open all night. We'd all weigh ourselves on the big scales. Mama won her self-challenged weight loss. Her gift to herself (& to us) was a trip to Florida. That's when we went to Manatee Springs… on the way back home.

    It really is a small world 🙂

  2. Mickey Johnson says:

    …let us see…how much do i weigh…too much:) xo, mickey

  3. Fearless Nester says:

    Oh I hear you…so long to the days when we couldn't wait to climb up on one of those. At least there's no audio announcement on that scale!

  4. Debra W says:

    I have stated refusing to get on the scale at the doc's office. I finally realized that it stresses me out for no other reason than it's a number, and as long as I know that I am doing what I can, the number is not that important. Unless the appointment has something to do with my weight, I just politely decline and I always feel better after doing so. Doctor's offices leave us feeling so exposed, so why make it worse?

    Hugs!

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