Childhood demands an excruciating quantity of waiting around. Waiting for adults to finish talking,waiting for Christmas, waiting to grow up. The ultimate form of of waiting is being forced to stand in line. We lined up for the morning school bus. We queued for the water fountain, recess, lunch, dismissal, and the afternoon bus home. I despised everything about lines. Didn't everybody?Of course not. There were kids for whom standing in line was making the scene, being where the action was. Missing a line was like missing a party. I remember them streaking across the playground, singing out a joyous call, like the call to prayer: "Line up, line up, L-I-N-E-! U-P-!" It was the high point of the day. Only there could they play out the urgent social dramas of their lives. Who stands next to whom. Who let who cut. Who is whose best friend today. They must have felt about line-standing the way I felt about spelling bees--a golden chance to show the world what you're made of.
For me, waiting has no redeeming features. I dislike suspense or anticipation. I don't think getting there is half the fun. That's one reason dieting is so damned hard. It's all about waiting, waiting for normal body processes to do their inevitable but very, very slow work of burning off stored fat. Yes, the process can be sped up by exercise. But still it's like trying to empty the swimming pool, not by opening a drain, but by letting the water evaporate.
My dear reader, you have been listening so patiently. Now you have some advice to give me, don't you? I'd love to hear it. Get in line!
Good things come to those who wait.
ReplyDeleteHi David,
ReplyDeleteI think dieting is not about waiting for the very, very slow work of burning stored fat. In fact dieting is not waiting at all. For me dieting was changing my life style abruptly. Instead for me it was about "wasting". Not leaving good and tasty food on the table. I had to make a different mindset to change that habit of eating. It was about dealing with that hungry feeling because you eat less. Going to bed hungry. But I notice I waste less because I eat less and the energy I get from not being wasteful is worth enduring feeling hungry. I feel so much better!
So perhaps dieting is about waiting for the moment that your stomach accepts it will not have extra waste to consume.
That moment when your stomach has decreased in size to what your body needs.
And until you raeched that it is nothing but utter misery. I remember having a meetng before supper and becoming increasingly annoyed and started to give more and more snappy answeres. Didn't help the meeting and didn't help me.
On the other hand loosing the weight has made me more energetic, bubbly and.... eh feeling sexy.