There has been a lot of news going around about the sign that got put up at a local restaurant called Mike’s Pig Pen in Watertown, New York. The sign, pictured below, was put up in the establishment addressing diabetics and asking them to give themselves their injections in the bathroom. Many people have spoken about the owner of the restaurant and have chosen to put him down, but I think there is more to this. Reading about this story from the outside but also having family members who are diabetic, really puts the whole situation into perspective and there are three people I would like to address, the customer with diabetes, the customer who complained about the person giving themselves a shot, and also the restaurant owner.

To the customer who complained about the person giving themselves a shot… Shame on you, I am disappointed and you should be disappointed in yourself. I understand that you were trying to eat your food, but so was the other customer. They have a medical condition in which they have to inject themselves with insulin so that they do not die. Would you rather your meal be interrupted by a medical team having to come into the establishment because the person did not give themselves an insulin shot and therefore their sugar was going all out of whack? It would be your fault. You made this person forever uncomfortable now, so who knows if they will ever give themselves an insulin shot in public. I hope they do, because it is their right, but we live in a society where we care what everyone thinks and everything that someone says stays with us for a very long time if not forever. With that being said, now your dinner may be interrupted by someone passing out, or a frantic 911 phone call or a medical team coming in because you're making people feel uncomfortable. You should be ashamed of yourself. You should know that this is a medical issue that needs to be dealt with at specific times. Educate yourself. Most importantly, stop being so selfish. Mind your own business and this wouldn’t be an issue for you to begin with.

To the customer with diabetes… I am so sorry that you have to endure this situation. There is no reason for another customer to make you feel uncomfortable in any situation because of a medical condition. I am sorry that people are so inconsiderate. I am sorry that people don’t think before they speak. I am sorry that people are so uneducated now a days. Know that I am proud of you. I am proud of how strong you are. I have multiple people in my family who are diabetic and I know how difficult this may be at times. You do not deserve to feel as though this sign was directly pointed at you, so do not think that at all. You did nothing wrong.You were doing what you needed to do to survive and that is something that everyone should be able to understand easily enough. Although I don’t know you, just know that I am thinking about you. I know this situation cannot be easy for you to grasp and it is hard for even me to understand how people can be so inconsiderate. Many people look up to you. Do not let this stop you from giving yourself insulin in public; it is the other people who need to learn to deal with this, not you. Stay strong.

To the owner of the restaurant… When I first read about this situation, I was extremely angry and disappointed in you. All I kept thinking was, how could someone be so inconsiderate and rude to post such a sign within their establishment, aimed directly at a population of their customers. After I got thinking, I understand why you posted the sign. I do not agree with it but I understand. You thought you were doing the correct thing due to the fact that one of your customers was upset about the insulin injection. What you failed to realize as a business owner is that both of these humans, are your customers. I can see how you are in a tough position, but I think it was handled incorrectly. If the situation needed to be addressed, you should have politely addressed to customer who it was concerning directly. I do believe that you should have explained to the complaining customer that diabetes is a health concern and that the customer who needed to inject insulin needed the insulin to survive. You must always realize that there are two sides to every story and everything that you do has repercussions. Many feelings were hurt over this issue and I see exactly why. I see both sides, and I understand your thoughts behind what you did; however, I do not agree with your actions.