You Are Doing It Wrong: The Green Bean Pan

You Are Doing It Wrong

A few days ago I was summoned back to the radiation oncology wing by an unfamiliar technician. The tech explained that I would be using a different radiation suite than the one in which I’ve had twenty-one radiation treatments already with a completely different crew. The room was in the exact same layout except that everything was a mirror image of my radiation room. I was compliant but was screaming inside. YOU’RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT!  You are doing it wrong! I can’t see the Beam On light because it’s on the wrong wall from where I have to look. My crew knows that I hop on the table when it’s moving and don’t scold me like I’m six years old. The lights are too bright! I can’t hear the music! I need the music! No one is talking to me- you know, the half naked one in the middle of the room! Someone talk to me so I don’t feel inconsequential! I was so relieved to return to my regular room with my mostly regular crew the next day.
My mother has one pan that she uses to cook canned Del Monte whole green beans. Same brand, same style of green beans for my entire life. Mind you she has fifteen other pans that could do the job, but she only uses the one pan to cook the green beans the exact same way for fifty years. I suck it up at Thanksgiving and doggedly use the pan I know will keep her sane.
Why do we get so set in our ways? Why do we care what route our spouse takes to the restaurant when he’s going to get there whether he goes the way we think he should or the way he’s going? Why can we all be such insufferable pains in the ass sometimes? None of it’s wrong. It’s just different. Some days I’m totally up for it and other days I demand to use my own damn pan for the green beans.
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2 Comments

  1. ev

    For the same reason I will only eat my homemade pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and not the store bought one that someone invariably brings. Which is an insult.

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