RANDOM_ACCESS_MENU

> INITIATING PROTOCOL: DECISION_SURRENDER
> LOCATION: BUSY_DINER
> INSTRUCTION: "I'll have what they are having."
> RISK: ALLERGIES/BAD_TASTE

// DECISION FATIGUE

We make 35,000 decisions a day. "What to eat?" is the most annoying one. I scroll Zomato for 40 minutes to buy food I eat in 10. It's a waste of life. I decided to outsource it.

// THE EXECUTION

I sat down. The waiter came over. He looked tired. Waiter: "What can I get you?" Me: (Pointing discreetly to a guy in a red shirt at Table 4) "Whatever he ordered. Don't tell me what it is. Just bring it." Waiter: (Stops writing) "Sir? Are you sure? Maybe he ordered boiled broccoli." Me: "That's the risk. Fate decides." He smiled. For the first time, he looked interested. This broke his script.

// THE ARRIVAL

Panic. Wait. He ordered a Salad? I hate salad. But then the second plate arrived. The Steak. Jackpot. The guy had taste.

// THE TASTE TEST

I would never have ordered the specific mushroom sauce he chose. I usually stick to Pepper Sauce. It was fantastic. By removing my own bias ("I like pepper"), I discovered something better. It makes you realize how trapped we are in our own preferences. We order the same 5 things endlessly.

// THE CONNECTION (THE GLITCH)

The guy noticed me eating the exact same meal. He looked at his plate. He looked at mine. He did a double-take. Him: "Did you... copy my order?" Me: "Yes. I told the waiter you looked like a man who knows good food." He laughed. He looked incredibly proud. "It's the best steak in town," he said. We bonded over the shared reality of that steak.

// CONCLUSION

Surrendering control is liberating. For 1 hour, I didn't have to choose. I just had to experience. It turns life into a surprise gift rather than a calculated transaction. Try it. (Just maybe check for peanut allergies first).