I’ve gotten a lot of advice in my life – some solicited, some not. Some of its been proven very useful, like the easiest way to figure out a twenty percent tip on a bill, and some of its been proven not very useful, like when my AP Euro teacher in high school said the best thing you could do in your life was to become a hobo (that is a true story). Advice comes from a very personal place, and often tells you more about the person offering the advice than anything else. For example, I advised my brother to not dorm with his friends, as that usually ruins friendships. You could (correctly) assume that I’d roomed with friends in my own life, and tragic consequences had been suffered as a result. However, advice cannot be applied as a universal rule. My brother ignored me, roomed with his friends from high school, and they’re still rooming together now. That’s just life, I guess.
There is one piece of advice, however, that resounds with me, and has never led me wrong. “Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.” I’ll give you a minute to process that; it’s good, right? Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. It’s so good, it’s almost common sense. Every time I go grocery shopping I think about that advice, because every time I go grocery shopping, I ignore that advice. I’d rather get the errand done as soon as possible, rather than waiting until after I’ve eaten after class. Nope, not me: I get out of class and I beeline to Trader Joe’s, stomach rumbling. I walk around the store, looking at all the delicious foods, wanting to buy it all and eat it all RIGHT NOW. Looking at all the snacks I couldn’t possibly eat in a week, all the new meal ideas I want to try for dinner that evening all at once. As I become self-aware for a moment, I think to myself, wow, this is exactly that that person was trying to warn me about. That truly is some good advice.
Maybe one day I’ll listen to it.
