I still feel almost anxious.
Because.
I.
Jenny Matlock.
Am a sugar thief.
It's true.
Mr. Jenny took me out to dinner the other afternoon.
It was delicious.
After we ate, we ordered some coffee.
I drink mine with cream.
And no sweetener.
The waitress put the little rectangular container on the table filled with sugar and sweetener packets.
After we finished our coffee and Mr. Jenny paid the bill I grabbed two.
It made me nervous.
I carried them in an obvious way in my hand, but I still felt weird.
And I truly expected someone to yell, "Stop! Thief!" at me.
After we got in the truck I put them in the cup holder.
I asked Mr. Jenny if it was wrong to steal two sugar packets.
He looked at me in an odd way.
Can you believe it?
It was a serious heart-wrenching question.
And he looked at me in an odd way.
"I don't even know why you took them," he said. "You never even eat sugar. You never use sugar."
"Well," I explained. "You know how before the girls went to Ireland in December I bought a little box of sugar?"
He nodded even though I don't think he really remembered at all.
"I used that all up when they were still here."
He nodded again.
"And now I don't have any sugar in the house and I wanted to make sure I had a little bit."
He nodded while giving me the "I have a crazy wife" look.
"So I thought since they offered me sugar with my coffee it would be okay to take two packages."
I paused.
"Was that stealing? Was that wrong? Should we go back and I'll give them back?"
Mr. Jenny thought about it for a few minutes.
He appeared to be quite thoughtful before he replied.
Or else he was just deciding how to best answer a sugar thief.
"I think it's okay," he finally said. "It's not like you took the salt and pepper shakers. Or the tablecloth. Or the silverware."
"Yeah, you're right," I agreed.
And then.
I felt a little better.
But.
Truly.
I still feel a teensy bit guilty.
And I may never go back to that restaurant again just in case they have a sugar thief alert picture of me by the cash register.
...
...
But on the plus side...
If anyone comes to visit me that wants to eat a sugar packet, I'm all set.
And I even have a spare.
In case they want to eat two!
My oldest sister who has a boatload of money goes to restaurants and dumps the entire container of sugar packets in her purse. What a brazen sugar whore she is. I'm convinced she got rich by never paying for sugar. She doesn't drink coffee, either, so it's not as if she's entitled to sugar packets the way you were.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I'm sorry but you are not a sugar thief...you paid for your dinner and drinks so I think your entitled to two sugar packets. My uncle carried a Ziploc bag wherever he went and would fill it with sugar...I think your safe, but I'm glad to know you think like me and I'm not the only one out there that analyzes everything and questions whether I did the right thing. I was told it's called a guilt complex! :)
ReplyDeleteI have felt like when traveling and I wanted some salt and pepper for our picnic basket. We eat and drink at a lot of McDonalds along the way, but still I felt like a thief when I wanted to take salt with a diet coke!!!!
ReplyDeleteToo funny. I am with your readers in siding with you all--you paid for them and you are ok. As your husband said, it is when the shakers and bottles of ketchup and mustard are taken.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a sugar thief, but then I was diagnosed with diabetes earlier this year. Now I bring my own Stevia packets into a restaurant in case I want to order some decaf. Can't stand that artificial stuff, and don't even get me started on just what an evil substance Splenda is. Gone forever are the days of sitting around drinking darn near a whole pot of coffee, with real sugar.
ReplyDeleteOh that's funny:) I have taken a sweet-n-low packet when eating out of town! JUST in CASE the hotel doesn't have any! Enjoy your day, hope the POLICE don't come calling:) HaHa! Have a fun day dear Jenny, HUGS!
ReplyDeleteI think you are safe from the "sugar police" Jenny....have a great week! Cathy
ReplyDeleteI understand wanting to make sure you have everything an unexpected guest might want and I'm sure a few sugar packets won't matter in the long run. I'm pretty sure you can put this one out of your mind...
ReplyDeletexxoo,
RWM
I bet God would forgive you. :-)
ReplyDeleteSugar-napping; that is really funny!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother used to dump the whole sugar container in her purse when we went to a restaurant. She had money too. I was so embarrassed as a child. I think taking the sugar was her depression-era mentality.
Jenny, if that's the worse thing you do, then you deserve a halo.
I think if you took the whole bowl it would be stealing. Two packets isn't stealing in my book!
ReplyDeleteDon't quote me, but I think you're in the clear...
ReplyDelete;)
I absolutely know you were entitled to the two sugar packets you could have used in your drink. But I also know that I am bothered by those very same things...because I didn't need them, I would wonder if I should have taken them. I can't believe you ponder those things, too!! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's not like they take ten cents off the price of your coffee if you don't use the sugar. They expect you to use it. You're just not using it in the restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about guilt. When we were living in Sicily 45 years ago we went on a day trip up Mt. Etna. There was a ski lodge and we had lunch with our group. In the middle of the table was a wine pitcher and written in Italian was the name of the lodge and the words Mt. Etna. I commented to my friend that it would be a neat souvenir, but they didn't sell them. We finished lunch and went back to the bus. My friend had a large purse. She reached in and pulled out the pitcher and handed it to me with a big smile. OMG...I accepted stolen property. That darn pitcher sits in my dining room hutch. I feel guilty every time I look at it. I never asked her to steal it for me. In fact, I was surprised when she handed it to me. I never saw her slip it in her purse. We have moved numerous times over the years and that thing has never broken. The kids never broke it when they were little. The cats leave it alone. It will outlive me I'm sure.