If you think of Long Island, I'm sure your mind would offer up some interesting images: The original "suburbia" (Levittown), gridlocked traffic (Long Island Expressway), the outrageous "Lawng Eyelind" accent. But I'll bet you wouldn't think of golf ball sized hail up that way. That is something for the tornado belt, but not the Northeast. Little peas, sure, but not golf ball or larger. But, as I was listening to the weather today I heard that is what happened down there today. I've lived in a few places in my day. And, in those places I've seen some interesting things. In Hawaii I saw the most perfect weather anywhere as well as a pretty nasty hurricane. In south Texas I experienced heat unlike anything I've seen or felt. In Oklahoma I saw what can happen when a tornado goes through the town and I've seen light shows in the sky unmatched anywhere else. On the Mississippi Gulf Coast I suffered humidity that felt like a hot, wet jacket zipped up to your neck. In my home in New York I've had the snow drift over the doors and windows. All that is pretty standard for those regions, but golf ball sized hail in Long Island? I don't know if that has ever happened there. In Oklahoma it was pretty common. In fact, my car was wrecked by hail. But up here in New York? Not as often, I'm sure. The way things are going with the climate, you just don't know what will happen next. While people are free to wrangle back and forth about whether "global warming" exists or if "climate change" is just a liberal hoax or if the earth is just going through a natural warming phase, the one thing no one can deny is that it is getting warmer. Scientific readings aside, just take a look at images of the polar ice caps and you'll see it plain as day. Sure, when the "warming" is only half a degree here and there, you don't tend to notice it. Meanwhile, when winter comes and there is snow, the brain trust whips out the tried and true, "Where's the global warming?" I'm sure they are saying that now in Long Island, not understanding that it is the warming that brings those icy balls of pain. We're the proverbial frogs in a pan of water on the stove with the burner set to low.
When such weather emergencies arise, they are often accompanied by other troubles. The weather takes down power lines. Roads can be blocked by fallen trees. Homes, schools and stores can be damaged by winds, flying debris or massive tons of snow on a roof. Floods can consume a town in moments. We don't need reminders of these tragic things as they've been all-too prevalent in the news. While we may not know the exact reason this is happening, we do know it is happening often. We also know that no one is immune to these troubles. As if those in Great Neck or Hempstead thought the power would go out, train service would be halted or damage would be caused by winds, rain and hail today? What do you do when you are stranded on the train and the power goes out? What do you do if you are on the highway during rush hour and trees block the road? What happens when things stop happening the way you think they should happen?
I bring up these warm thoughts simply to put a seed into your heads: When all is right with the world, Reboots happen nicely. Birds sing at your window as you juice fresh, organic produce. The children come running into the kitchen begging to be given fresh juice to go along with the wholesome, organic breakfast of fruit and bread (flour you ground yourself the previous evening). They dance around when you tell them you packed Green Smoothies and nut-butter filled celery for lunch. They sing your praises as they see a lovely vegetable soup with side salad waiting for them when they come to dinner. Your spouse tells you to leave the dishes and go relax and they'll be in after cleaning up to give you that massage you've earned. When things are not so right with the world... well, I'll let you spin your own tale. It probably won't take too much imagination.
What about the other things that can happen if things don't go so well? What if you have no power? What if you can't get to the store? What if the store is damaged or the roads are impassable to trucks? No, these are not the ravings of a madman. We've all been there. A freak storm back in '89 knocked out power for two weeks up where I live. Some roads were blocked for days. As those in New Orleans or those living in the flood plain of the Mississippi know,this is how things go. No one has to ask those in Northern Japan. It probably won't happen, but it can happen. It is during times like that when the Reboot is called off on account of weather. Will you manage? Do you have a plan that might work? Those are the sorts of things we don't like to consider, but there is no doubt we should.
How about the less intense situations? Yeah, you know, the normal power outage or bad storm. The sort that makes you want to stay home rather than go to the store for carrots and such. Or when those friends pop by and ask to go out for dinner? Or worse, when the in-laws come by and expect a big dinner? Those are the sorts of disasters we'll encounter in ordinary real life. Real life disasters call for real-life solutions. If your in-laws know you have a "weird" diet, there will be some understanding in the midst of the sneers.
If all goes well on your Reboot, the phase that happens afterward (called "the rest of your life") will include some big changes in diet. Most will certainly avoid processed foods, sugar, white flour, pizza, transfats, etc. You probably have a diet outlined in your head even as you sip that juice. That is wonderful. What do you think will happen if you are put in a position where you can't juice or you can't get the food you desire? Are you likely to relapse into poor eating habits or will you deal with it and get back to business? On the one hand, when you have no choice, you have no choice. Let's face it, wheat stores better than bananas. In a real crisis the things that store are the things that will work. But in a "mini-crisis", will you hold up? I can tell you now, you're going to face one. You might consider each day of your Reboot now a crisis. The smell of a co-workers cheeseburger. The donuts that are always in the conference room. The damned neighbor who just can't stop grilling outside. The never-ending commercials for all the lovely junk we adore. Yes, those are all disasters touching down on the shores of our bodies each day. A hackneyed phrase is, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Trite, but accurate. While no one can plan perfectly for the real disasters, the small ones might be a bit easier. It could be a wise thing to consider how you can mitigate the stress from being stranded in jury duty with only the pile of crap they offer you to eat. Some nuts in a bag, some pieces of fruit and veggies... all can help one get through a tough moment when on a normal post-Reboot diet or even when one is Rebooting and doesn't have access to juice. Again, this isn't a religion, it is a lifestyle change, right?
As I'm looking out the window there is no sign of the minor storm that blew through here a couple hours ago. All I can think of is that I don't have to water the garden and I'm happy I don't live in northeast Long Island. I know it doesn't take too much of a wind to blow a Reboot and its aftermath off-course. Lash yourself to wheel and lock it down. Storms blow over quickly, but Twinkies lodge themselves into your ass for a long time.
Progress:
 |
| I am 35% through the 60 days. |
Weight: 151.3 lbs.
 |
| I gained weight!? |
Food: Fruit/Veg Smoothie With Hemp Seed
 |
| Best I can do today. |
No comments:
Post a Comment