Grains, God, and Politics

You know how you can tell if a new lifestyle is actually working for you? When you naturally and easily become frugal towards the unnecessary things you always insisted you "needed" even if you already had several of them at home. When you make simplicity a virtue with pure adrenaline-hyped rewards.

The night before last, I finally gave into this wild craving all day that I had been having for vanilla ice cream. For people who know me, they know that I generally do not like ice cream. I don't like milk and milk products. I rarely even desire milk shakes. So, whenever I get this craving - about three times a year - I give into it. I headed to the grocery store for a small container of vanilla ice cream. I don't usually even want the loaded stuff. But I figured, and maybe even stupidly, that I am now finally absorbing iron via supplements (though I might still need an infustion) and vitamin D via the daily walks in the sunshine. So maybe my weirdo body is now even wanting some calcium that, for once, it may not dump in the form of kidney stones into my kidneys. It was just a thought...

As I was passing by the magazine rack, the book nerd (and addict) in me noted all the great new issues with pictures of neatly carved pumpkins on the cover. "Easy Autumn Stews!", "50 Great Kids Costume Ideas!" "Trick or Treat Treats That Will Drive the Little Goblins Crazy!"

Can you tell I freelance these ridiculous things for a living?

In the past, the recent past, I would have grabbed one of those senseless magazines in one of my weakened sleepy stupors, because the colors, the words themselves, and the mental picture of a healthy mother with enough energy to carve Halloween pumpkins with her children was momentarily inspiring. But I would have never done what was demonstrated in the picture. Too tired. I would have, instead, let my kids cut up the $5.00 magazine for some lonely rainy day craft, and the mess would sit for a day or so, because I would be too tired to clean it, and too tired to insist that they do it. The latter takes much more energy. And I would have ended up with a small, but powerful, stab of guilt when my husband finally cleaned up the mess himself, complaining quietly that I let the kids "run all over" when I get too tired to control their creative endeavors in the kitchen.

But this time, because I finally had my energized wits about me, I walked straight past the covers saying to myself, "That's a cute idea. I will see if I can find something similar on a free craft site on the Internet."

See? Wits. Energy. Natural simplicity.

I have spent nearly a week now briskly walking my dog for 45 minutes a day, avoiding bagels and whole grain breads, and it has completely changed my life. I have not told anyone outside of the readers on my blog, and yet, neighbors and friends who have seen me throughout town will stop their cars spontaneously, rolled down their windows and yell, "Have you done something different lately? You have so much great color in your face?"

Someone else said, "I love your energy!"

I don't think those words have been uttered about since the early nineties, if ever.

My own sister doesn't know my new blog address (a clerical error on my part that I have yet to correct), but she saw me today walking the dog down the main street of our busy town and she said, "You look great! What's going on? Vitamins or something?"

Then I tell people I just stopped eating wheat.

"Meat? Me too! Vegetarian," they say proudly pointing to themselves.

"No, no. I am not a vegetarian," I reply. "I am not eating WHEAT."

There is usually a heavy confused blinking and then another, "Oh..." No one seems to be able to wrap their head around this one even though it is quite common in this world. But I guess just not in my little hippie town.

I can already see how others around me are wanting in on this new "energy". I have begun to have the wherewithal to schedule my own time, to say no to people who are doing things I cannot do or are not interested in. I have begun to make my reading time a staple again - though only for about 15 minutes. I go to bed with the idea that sleep makes one feel better and not just the same as going without adequate sleep might make someone feel. Before, sleeping never mattered. I was always asleep anyway. I slept for longer times than I do now, but without absolutely any benefit when I ate oatmeal every morning.

I drink maybe one cup of coffee a day. I still love it. I just don't need it as much. Though I still need it. It is part of my morning routine.

How to keep this goal moving along?

This was my only concern. I have no issues motivating myself. All alone in a silent, dark room I can come up with an action plan and an inspiring self-directed speech. But when it is a chronic fatigue and poor immune system you are fighting, how do you stay on track?

I was searching for an answer to a vitamin question the other night when I came across a life coaching company. Very cool. I never thought I needed anything like that. Always wondered how these converts to Catholicism and Orthodoxy got all these "mentors" and "spiritual fathers, sisters,donkeys" etc...But I inquired, got to talking to one of the coaches who stopped me before our conversation ended and said, "Your life inspires me. It is not often I feel that about a client."

Interesting.

I am going to do it though. I am getting one of those mentors the eager, shiny-eyed converts always get. Only I am going to do so with the intention of possibly becoming one myself some day, if I can come up with more than, "Stay Away From Dinner Rolls And Change Your Life Forever!". This particular company is looking for a qualified female coach of the Catholic persuasion. They already have many other churches represented. And now is a great time for the lack-luster spiritual interior life of many Catholics in the Northeast to be challenged a bit. We'll see how this goes...This company is not expensive at all and is just starting. Quite affordable and, I predict, quite worth the guidance. I need a push and some clarity where I might not get it from friends and family. Everyone who knows me now has always known me tired - from college to the present. How can they imagine for me the Tiffani with an energetic future when they are quite happy with the slow-footed Tiffani of days past?

It is amazing what a lack of wheat can do. It is amazing how finally following the path, you know that you know, God wants you to follow can change even your energy level and eventually just spill out into other areas of your life. It's great to know who you really are when you aren't falling asleep between stop signs. It's great to know that I can come up with statements like the one I came up with in the grocery store the other day when someone asked me if I was a conservative,

"Yes, but I am an American first. Sometimes conservatives are as ridiculously hardcore as the rainbow colored left can be. Really, they are just two sides of the exact same gaudy coin that isn't negotiable anywhere. My Right doesn't look anything like Reagan's anymore. It's all ideology and no common sense."

The spittin' Right grew silent and the teeth-gritted Peace Lover in the room, both, turned away from me in disgust. I knew I felt satisfied, because I was just being me.

Now see? That's the swift thought of a woman who hasn't eat grains all day.