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WHY YOU SHOULD BE EATING DOUGHNUTS
I went to college with a woman who was so afraid of gaining weight that she’d sit in the dining hall, night after night, slowly eating a small salad for dinner while holding one hand on her stomach the entire time. She was truly terrified she’d gain weight. Eating every meal with a hand on her stomach, hyper vigilant that she was never too full.
Every night before bed, she’d purposely assemble the next day’s outfit, deliberately laying out and ironing each article of clothing in advance. Even when she wore boots, she’d make sure that the socks no one ever saw, perfectly matched the rest of her ensemble. Always on some sort of self-imposed lock down, she was always, ALWAYS in control.
Over the years we lost touch. But I just learned from a mutual friend that this woman was diagnosed with ALS. Now wheelchair bound and fed through a tube, she can no longer speak and her breathing is highly compromised. My friend’s world has become very, very small.
I think about of the countless meals she unremittingly prevented herself from enjoying. The constant vigilance in life with zero tolerance for recklessness. No irresponsible acts for the fuck of it. No midnight runs for doughnuts. No crazy road trips to nowhere. Always staying locked down. And now…she’s literally locked down.
