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DAVID BENTLEY'S WEEKLY COLUMN |
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WHO MAKES THE RULES?
I just broke my nightly fast. I put a fried egg on top of a slice of ham, steeped a cup of tea, and had a typical American breakfast minus the toast, jelly and hash browns. I could have prepared hot or cold cereal; or I might have eaten a bagel with cream cheese and jam. A breakfast sandwich or burrito could have been another choice, but what if I had wanted a Caesar salad with a cup of clam chowder instead? Absurd, you say? I say it is no more strange than eating pancakes and sausage for supper, but people do that all the time. So who decided what was appropriate for breakfast and what was inappropriate? Who made it improper to consume a hamburger, fries and a soda for breakfast when the same combination is acceptable -- though not necessarily healthful -- for lunch? Clearly we have created a set of unwritten rules about mealtime choices. These rules are also arbitrary. It is okay to eat hot pizza for lunch, but not okay to eat cold, leftover pizza for breakfast. It is acceptable to have a steak with your eggs in the morning, but don't consider spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast. When we become ill, we often are asked, "What do you feel like eating?" Yet when we are well, no thought is given to what our bodies crave except in terms of which of the acceptable choices we'd prefer. Imagine the look on the waitstaff's faces if you were to walk into a fine restaurant for dinner and request a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar, dry toast, and strawberry preserves. Perhaps it is time for all of us to reflect on why we thoughtlessly follow such arbitrary, unwritten rules rather than basing our everyday decisions on the needs, desires, and welfare of ourselves and others.
© 2006 David Bentley David Bentley, M.Ed. & Personal Coach, coaches clients through the game of life, helping them find balance, clarity of direction, and purpose in an ever-changing world. You may contact him at 360.378.8436 by e-mail at david@coachbentley.com or visit his Web site: www.coachbentley.com |
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