Hipocracy

Saturday was the fireman's auction up on Southport Island where I grew up, and since it is the social event of the season, a bunch of close friends and family and I were all up for the weekend. Last night as a few of us made dinner (veggie stir fry with tempeh and chicken sausage, yum!) we started talking about some family members that are struggling. Both are dealing with addiction in a way. One has a substance addiction issues, and the other has some serious health problems but continues to eat in a way that is making the health problems worse. We talked about how it is frustrating to watch them do damage to themselves. Why can't they see what they are doing themselves and just stop??

Later as I was driving home and stopping at Dairy Queen for a post dinner and dessert Blizzard, it occurred to me that I was being awfully hypocritical. I was talking about other people and their addictions as if I were just perfect? Here I was stopping for a blizzard when I wasn't even remotely hungry. I'd eat a bunch of cookies earlier in the day when I was making them and already had ice cream after dinner. I too just can't stop eating. And I there I was driving home late at night, missing out on an impromptu family reunion, because I "needed" to get home for a long bike ride this morning. As I read "Dear Overexercising" earlier this week, I started crying because I recognized myself in it so much. If I can't get at least one workout in a day, I get panicky and angry and totally out of control. That is not a healthy thing.

But that's the thing about our society I think. Unless there is something negative associated with your addiction, like drugs or obesity, people don't see it as a huge problem. I think it's a good lesson. Look at the things in your own life. Are they truly healthy- physically, mentally, and spiritually? And next time you see someone that you would normally condemn consider that you may have more in common than you think.