<p> The other day, while picking up vegetables at the neighbourhood grocery store, the janitor of my community, an old man, happened to be there shopping for food too. We both wore face masks, just like everybody in these days did, but still he recognized me. On seeing me stooping over some fresh tomatoes picking and choosing, he causally remarked “ You buy vegetables? Is that necessary for a girl who lives all by herself?” I knew there was no foul meaning implied in his words, he was just saying, maybe his way of greetings to me. But still, somehow I felt offended. I’m not saying I got mad at him, because I always thought to get mad at somebody, first there has to be some connection between you two, or more exactly, you have to be emotionally attached to somebody to get really upset about what he said or did to you. No, the janitor and I share no such bond. So, I wasn’t mad at him. I guess I felt offended because I disliked the the narrow-minded way he perceived a person who lives alone. I don’t mind him bluntly pointing out that I was single (which is none of his business), but “ You buy vegetables? Is that necessary for a girl who lives all by herself?” where does that come from? Jesus, don’t we need to feed ourselves? Does living on one’s own means we don’t have to cook or we don’t have to eat? I can never make sense of such stupid questions. Now, several days later, when I come to think of it, I feel like laughing my head off. People sometimes say strange things maybe even they themselves have no clue why they said that. And if you are on the other end of the conversation, if it accidentally pokes your sore spots, it’s OK to have the sudden urge to expose the absurdity of their remarks. But a lesson from me, the wisest thing to do is brush aside whatever is being said and laugh it off. Life is too short, we can’t afford to waste it on people or things that don’t count.</p>