So the holiday season is REALLY hard on someone trying to battle weight-related health issues. Especially in an office of 100+ people, equally divided between those wanting to help and support you, and those wanting to make the whole world fat, round, and lazy.
I felt a great deal of frustration the week before Christmas when a couple of folks decided "Hey let's have food in the middle of the department every day this week." The email went out for folks to sign up to bring stuff. I replied to All, "Please try to make sure some lighter options make it to the table!"
Sigh. "Lighter" was translated into some other language, not calories. So there was stuff covered in frosting, stuff filled with cream cheese, stuff full of fat and grease... And every single thing had an amazing smell that said, "Kat - you need to eat 5 of me!" Add to this the fact the table is set up smack in the middle of my department - right between me and the fax, to which I travel at least once an hour; right between me and the other three call takers, with whom I communicate face-to-face at least once a day; and eventually right between me and every single thing I needed to do, whether it was really on the way or not. Sigh.
To my chagrin, I did not stick to my guns the way I'd ordered myself to do. I enjoyed every single tidbit I ate, knowing that I would have to work double-hard to keep from losing the momentum I've maintained all this time between Weight Watchers and Jazzercise. Then, to add to my challenge, I had holiday activities with friends and then a cold, that prevented me from attending my meetings and workouts. Sigh.
So, tonight I finally made it back to Weight Watchers for a weigh-in. I was certain I had gained at least three pounds over the past couple of weeks. I'd visited a doctor Friday after work and the scale made an ugly face at me, I'm sure. My chest is still a little funky, so I didn't stay for tonight's meeting, but I was quite relieved to see that I hadn't even gained one pound, much less three. OK, I gained .6 pounds - a gain, but when you consider my lack of control over the last couple of weeks, it's awesome.
I decided to celebrate by allowing myself to eat the nachos I've been craving all day. I went to Taco Bell and ordered the Nachos Belgrande - if I was going to have them, I was going to have a lot of them! I'm still uncomfortably full, by the way.
As I sat in the restaraunt and enjoyed each greasy, cheesy, fatty mouthful, a family of six came in, ordered and sat in the tables next to mine. I didn't want to be rude and listen in on all their conversations, but well, they were right next to me and I had nothing else going on except nacho goodness. I observed that the four children (aged between 9 months and 9 years at a guess) were all very well behaved and well mannered for their ages. The mother was very patient with each one, even with the toddler who decided it was fun to bounce her fists on the hot sauce packets. The father patiently ordered for each of them (which proceeded with amazing efficiency I thought), and brought all the food and drinks over to the family at the table. He sorted out who's food was what and determined that they had several extra food items that they had neither ordered, nor paid for. He took the reciept and the tray with the extras back to the counter to straighten it all out - I noticed the family did not start eating while he was gone. When the cashier realized the error, he said that they couldn't sell the food to someone else now anyway so the family could keep it for free. The man thanked him and sat down. Still no one began eating until all had taken hands and said a brief, simple prayer of thanks for their meal.
It has been made plain before on this blog that I am not a Christian. But, while I have some gripes about the organization of the Christian Church, I have nothing against people who are Christian. I actually respect those who are rooted in their beliefs and endeavor to live well according to their teachings - even if I disagree with them. All day today, some form of spirituality or other has enterred into my space. I've had three separate conversations on the topic with three different people, just today. So in looking over this scene, I felt that I was being given a special gift. The gift was a chance to look at a family unit, functioning as a complete package - mother, father, children, Faith, togetherness and teamwork. They prayed together - as a fanily - in a public place. They were neither ashamed nor afraid for anyone to see that they were praying and giving thanks.
This is how I believe it should be - not just for Christians, but for people of all Faiths. I believe that people of all religions should cheer when they see someone else showing their Faith in public, no matter what religion that Faith is based in. They don't have to agree with the religion - just be respectful of the fact that the other person does agree with it and chooses to live as directed by it.
Now, here is where I get all crazy with the whole "Politically Correct" craze that is running rampant through our society. WTF??? OK, I don't agree with 99.99999% of the religions out there - not even with the one that the largest portion of the US population follows (in one form or another) - but I don't think it's fair for me to demand that no one can say Christmas in school, or use the word God in the pledge of allegiance. I don't think it's fair that because some people aren't Christians, the ones who are can't have a "Christmas" pageant at school. If you're not Christian and you don't want to see it, don't go. Plain and simple. I know there are plenty of other faiths out there that have their own things going on during the "Christmas" season; so hey, why don't the Jewish people all do a "Chanukah" pagenat, and the Kwanzaa people all do a "Kwanzaa" pageant? And if there are scheduling conflicts, why not all work together to make one big pageant that covers everyone's beliefs? Maybe? Anybody? Beuler? I just think the whole "PC" movement has gotten way out of hand. We're so afraid of squashing anybody's individual rights, we've squashed everybody's freedom of speech and freedom of religious expression. And hello? Didn't the country get started in the first place by a bunch of people leaving their home land so they could practice their religion the way they felt was appropriate FOR THEM? (This observation is clearly ignoring the Native Americans who actually were already here and got beaten down into the dirt by these people, but only for the moment - that's a rant for antoher day.) Are we really that stupid as a nation? Apparently so!
{BTW - Kwanzaa doesn't really replace Christmas - it's also not a religion - it means "first fruits of the harvest" and is an African-American observance of traditional African values (family, community, self-improvement, etc.); and it actually runs from 12/26 to 1/1, so there should never be a schedule conflict between Kwanzaa and Christmas. As for Chanukah, it is based on the Jewish calendar, which may or may not fall into conflict with the Georgain calendar used by Christians (and the American government). So the possibility does exist for this to bump schedules with a Christmas pageant, but again I say - how about a cooperative effort? How about taking full advantage of a great opportunity for members of each Faith to share a small taste of their beliefs with each other and maybe even brighten up the dimming light bulbs of acceptance and fellowship? So says the heathen! Go ye and stop being assholes!}
This has been an entirely non-PC public service announcment. :-)
