"PUT on SOME WEIGHT!"

My speaking schedule the past several weeks has been quite busy.  We’ve been back and forth from one end of the state to the other doing multiple engagements, with each stop having its own climatic flavor, while some have inadvertently provided their own type of humor.I still laugh in my head when I think of this one incident.  I’m telling about my meeting with my lawyer and how much time I was looking to do in prison, (up to 10 years), and say how I wasn’t worried about it. Not because I was in denial, but because there was something way heavier weighing on my emotions.  I continue explaining about the various people (in law enforcement) who were telling me what to expect behind the walls of prison: Violence and ignorance.I go on, “Would you believe me if I told you, that, even after hearing such horror stories that I wasn’t worried about that either. Not because I’m some type of tough guy, but because there was something more serious that was fighting for my undivided attention.”   And after that build up, I share with them that the only thing that I was concerned about during that vulnerable time before prison was what I possibly would say to my victim’s family? How would I verbalize and express that level of remorse and sorrow that I felt?   I finalize by saying, “How do you say ‘I’m sorry for killing your loved one?’”My presentation is very serious.   I think you get the point. Most do.But this one gentleman, an educator, obviously didn’t.   During the part where I’m going over some of the advice I was given pre-prison, I state that many people would say, “You better put on some weight.’” So as crazy as this still is to me, this guy is the first one waiting in line to speak to me after.  I see him coming and I think he’s going to thank me for speaking.  I put my hand out and he not only dismisses it, but he says, “I didn’t appreciate you talking directly to me when you talked about “putting on weight.”I was completely confused and the only logical response that I could muster up was, “Are you serious right now?” And I was serious in asking if he was serious, because I didn’t think it was possible for someone to take offense to something so innocuous.  It was so absurd that I honestly thought I was being punked or on the hidden camera show called, “What Would You Do?”So herein lies a lesson: What do you do when everything you are doing is positive yet people spin it into a negative? What do you do when you are trying to make progress, yet something or someone tries to make you digress?The answer:  With Gods grace in the drivers seat, sit back and enjoy the adventure—regardless of the road bumps. And no disrespect to this guy, but I don’t think gaining or losing weight has anything whatsoever to do with the theme of my story.  At least I don’t think it does, but than again, this guy has me second guessing my purpose.  Speaker or Trainer? Hmmmm.