French? Catalina? Italian?

Genghis was unsure. Prone to self-doubt and indecision, he was frequently unable to make up his mind, constantly going back and forth in his head over one option versus another, analyzing the possibilities and pitfalls of every single choice he made. Genghis was a man described in the best light as an over thinker. In the worst light, a victim of crippling uncertainty. The thin line between the two was akin to a string between soup cans that was pitched as a genius idea for enabling secret communications, but didn’t necessarily breed mobile accessibility.

For Genghis, every decision was just as challenging to make as the next. A choice of brown loafers or black for Thursday’s meeting, the chicken breasts being on sale when he went specifically to buy brook trout or maybe salmon, the question of whether to hop on the subway for five stops versus hail a quick cab when running late­—the result of that morning’s countless bouts of indecision—, all warranted as much thought and over analysis as the question of whether to move into a new apartment or (hold the phone) get married, something that would never happen given the amount of examination, vacillation and overall throwing of caution to the wind that would have to take place. Genghis never threw caution anywhere but in his own face.

Hell was dining out with Genghis as the very word “menu” sent shock waves of doubt to his psyche before he even arrived at the restaurant. Soup or salad? Soup was more filling, salad more nutritious. Soup sounded good, but high in sodium. The salad may have a creamy dressing though. What were the dressing options? French? Catalina? Italian? What kind of Italian? “Olive oil and herbs” Italian or “canola oil and vinegar” Italian? What’s the difference between Italian and Vinaigrette really? Maybe Blue Cheese. But the Blue Cheese could be a bad choice before the entrée… A steak or maybe pasta? The steak is forty-four dollars. But the pasta is high in carbs. Am I gonna pay for a bowl of hot noodles I could have made myself? Maybe there’s a fish special? But Blue Cheese before fish? I wonder if I need a Zantac? The doctor said to rely less on Zantac though. When should I start to do that? Is that my water? Should I be drinking water with no ice?

Today, Genghis’s inability to decide centered around one thing. The weather. One thing, that is, with many little nuanced assessments.