Take two

 

I was at a potluck a few days ago and the main course was fried chicken.

I wondered how that worked out for a large group. Think about forty people.

I personally prefer the breast. I like white meat with a minimum of fiddling with bones.

I couldn't hear if there were any specific instructions for how much chicken each person could choose. There may not have been any, but everyone in front of me seemed to be taking two pieces. 

I took one chicken breast, pleased that I got my favorite piece and a little surprised.

Then I looked up and saw the woman who took the largest breast she could find and dug through the rest of the chicken before taking another huge breast. She was not a large woman, nor was she someone who looked malnourished.

I thought maybe she was short on money for the rest of the month and needed to save this for another meal. Or perhaps she was very hungry and would actually eat all that chicken in one sitting, but neither of these felt right.

She looked like the kind of woman who lacked either a conscience, or social grace. She was lean and muscular with a short gray haircut and no nonsense clothing. Not tailored, or sophisticated, simply down to business, a woman who was used to getting her way.

She was a woman I would not want to cross and I wondered what made me have all these thoughts of her. It had to say something about me.

Did I secretly want to take an extra portion of the best chicken? Was I envious of her almost arrogant strength? Did I somehow feel so threatened by her I needed to denigrate her actions?

I honestly don't think so. 

I think she was just a greedy, thoughtless person, possibly a narcissist, who took advantage of anything put in front of her.

Now that's a lot of thoughts about a woman I barely know.