I'm only here for this moment.
Aug. 18th, 2003 01:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raybearI've completed more tasks this morning than I'm often known to complete in an entire workday. What is this thing, productivity?
I've had some minor physical ailments in the past few days, mostly in the form of allergy attacks (including the somewhat embarassing experience of having my sneezes echo through the Ravinia pavillion on Saturday evening) but also some intestinal distress which may or may not be due to eating bad capers. Can capers go bad? I mean, I guess everything rots eventually. Who knew little flower buds could be so evil.
Occasionally I think about fasting and sometimes I even do it. It might even start unintentionally, like I realize it's been 16 hours since I ate so I decide to go another 12 more while drinking diluted fruit juice or whatever. I could do this today, except I've had coffee which isn't exactly a good fasting type beverage. But aside from the four bites of ice cream I had this morning while waiting for water to boil, I haven't eaten since about 4 o'clock yesterday. No real reason other than not feeling hungry. And the whole sitting on the toilet with great frequency problem I mentioned earlier.
Other times I think instead of fasting, I'll have a period of celibacy. That idea usually lasts about one-eighth of a second. But what I maybe think of most often is a vow of silence. Not for anything monk-like or excessive, like years or even months. But maybe just one day. One whole day of not speaking and with limited communication through other means (i.e. I wouldn't spend all day on e-mail and livejournal and IM or writing post-it notes). Would this have a similar effect as a one-day juice fast? A quick way of cleaning out my mouth, or more accurately my mind. A test of will, a lesson in paying attention to my words, an exercise in what I take for granted.
I wonder if I could get this approved at work, as a religious activity. I think about that conversation a lot too.
Someday I'll do it.
I've had some minor physical ailments in the past few days, mostly in the form of allergy attacks (including the somewhat embarassing experience of having my sneezes echo through the Ravinia pavillion on Saturday evening) but also some intestinal distress which may or may not be due to eating bad capers. Can capers go bad? I mean, I guess everything rots eventually. Who knew little flower buds could be so evil.
Occasionally I think about fasting and sometimes I even do it. It might even start unintentionally, like I realize it's been 16 hours since I ate so I decide to go another 12 more while drinking diluted fruit juice or whatever. I could do this today, except I've had coffee which isn't exactly a good fasting type beverage. But aside from the four bites of ice cream I had this morning while waiting for water to boil, I haven't eaten since about 4 o'clock yesterday. No real reason other than not feeling hungry. And the whole sitting on the toilet with great frequency problem I mentioned earlier.
Other times I think instead of fasting, I'll have a period of celibacy. That idea usually lasts about one-eighth of a second. But what I maybe think of most often is a vow of silence. Not for anything monk-like or excessive, like years or even months. But maybe just one day. One whole day of not speaking and with limited communication through other means (i.e. I wouldn't spend all day on e-mail and livejournal and IM or writing post-it notes). Would this have a similar effect as a one-day juice fast? A quick way of cleaning out my mouth, or more accurately my mind. A test of will, a lesson in paying attention to my words, an exercise in what I take for granted.
I wonder if I could get this approved at work, as a religious activity. I think about that conversation a lot too.
Someday I'll do it.
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no subject
Date: 2003-08-18 01:06 pm (UTC)i once started a fast -- i bought 5 lbs of lemons and special maple syrup and began my day with it. the fast was supposed to last 10 days. i made it 3 hours. all i could think of was that i wanted a tuna fish sandwich. my head ached. my body ached. I WANT A TUNA SANDWICH. i gave in. when my body yells, i gotta listen....
in ireland mrmturtle and i stayed at this buddhist retreat which also had a hostel. it overlooked the ocean and was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. there were residents who were on retreat for anywhere from a year to 3 years during which time they didn't talk to or look at anyone. there's a part of me that wished i could have that kind of discipline and be that devoted to my spiritual life --so much so that i would give up my life. in reality, i don't know that i could do it. but thinking about it was interesting enough...
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Date: 2003-08-18 02:41 pm (UTC)then i read your comment where you said: "when my body yells, i gotta listen...." so true. which is why i think i can only do spontaneous fasting -- if it try to plan it, my body would probably get angry with me.
metabolism and hunger is so weird and fascinating.