Tomorrow

After my "Reboot" post, I decided to consciously give up a quiver of bad habits in an effort to--I don't know--better myself, or something. It seemed like I was stuck in a rut, so why not shake off the things that were obviously detrimental? I was also overweight, something that troubled me because I've always been an active and (if I may say so) adventurous person my entire life, so I took the opportunity to do a brief fast to clear my mind and start the process of getting back to whomever I was, at least physically.

That two-day fast turned into a five-day, and then a six-day. Last night I broke it, with a strawberry. I'm sorry to report that I have eaten the sweetest, most delicious strawberry that ever grew upon the face of the earth, and that you missed it. Had you been here, I hope that I could say that I would have shared--but maybe not! That strawberry was followed by blueberries, blackberries, sprigs of the most tender asparagus... !

You think a lot when you fast. We spend so much time driving to get food or ingredients, or to restaurants, or eating, or cleaning up after eating, or planning meals. I did none of that for the last week, and the hours crawled by slowly. I worked, I cleaned, I did all those things we do each day except for the simple survival expedient of eating. With so much time, one must think.

Today I cleaned the house from top to bottom, and took a fast & hard ride of four miles around the hills here, coming home tired and drenched in sweat, but elated. And then I cooked. I haven't cooked in so long... cooking is a kind of meditation, a gift to oneself. It's a way of saying "hey, you're a good person, I'm making this for you." When I don't cook--when I heat packaged food from a store--it's a mechanical, meaningless act.

Tomorrow is a new day, and I have schemes.