Is it any wonder?

Last Saturday, Senator Edward Kennedy was layed to rest. My hair stylist finally agree to perm my hair! Yippee! He says that after major surgery there are chemicals that have to work through your system. The hair needed it bad, so there I was sitting under the dryer watching some of the funeral services. Facing the coffin to the left were rows of dignitaries and well known people. In the first seats on the first row of dignitaries was the President of the United States and the First Lady. Behind them were three former Presidents. It struck me again how the fabric of this very country had changed. No matter whether his administration fails or succeeds, if he is assinated or lives to a ripe old age, if his daughters turn out to be bigger party hounds than the Bush girls, or he plunges us into World War III he will forever be the first Black President of the United States. The pictorial that has all the presidents on it, will forever have a Black face on it. Its funny that I continue to have moments like that, when does it simply become a fact of life? For some it will never become a fact of life. There have been so many off the cuff remarks such as "you can no longer call it the White House", or I'm going to get a hunting license, and so one. There are some who, for whatever their reason, fear the change and are unable to work through this and refuse to move on. I look at the nasty tone of town hall meetings, the venemous tones with which "Christian" groups oppose the duly elected President of the United States, when just one - two years ago they insisted on respect and support for the man in the Oval office even if you didn't agree with the war or his policies. I often heard people saying things like ultimately God is n control and if he is president God allowed it. Where has that sense of honor and respect and trust in God gone? Its funny how we act when we want what we want, how we want it, when we want it, and where we want it. In thinking about that, it hit me is it any wonder that weight is an issue for us as a country? We resist the change we can't embrace and we deny what we don't want to accept, even when the facts or reality is slapping us in the face.
We've all heard it and maybe even said it once or twice. "The definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing and expecting a different result". We all know someone who has been on a diet, someone who has done a "program". They've lost weight and everyone celebrated their lost. We know disportionately more folks who gained it back than those who kept it off. We can all think of at least one diet drug that's been pulled from the market for either causing serious health problems or even death. The FDA is looking at the newest over the counter drug right now for possible health issues. AND YET...we continue to follow like lambs to the slaughter waiting for the next "program" or wonder drug. Health officials continue to say, smaller portions, healthier choices. Sunday I had the conversation I seem to be having quite often lately. "Is that all you're gonna eat? So you can eat that? Were you scared? How often do you get to eat?" People get stuck on two things, what they can't or can eat and the friend they know that had complications or someone who died. Its like focusing on the one plane crash instead of the hundreds of thousands of planes that arrive at their destination safely everyday all over the world. There is really nothing we can do about the risk except, be in the best health we can at operation time, (if the doctor says lose weight, do it). You decrease risk by researching your surgeon, talking to others about what to expect, and getting the items they suggest for afterwards.
But honestly I don't think the biggest fears are the health risk. Based on what the questions are, I think the biggest fears are that we will no longer be able to eat what we want. I understand because I have those days, where my hair aint right, my money ain't right, my man...well I just ain't got one, friends are tripping and my family has jumped up and down on my last nerve I want to eat what I want right THEN!!!! I get ill when I'm sitting at the table and I look at the menu and everything looks great. Well "back in the day", could order one of this, one of that and oh yeah two of those. Now I have to answer the waiter, yes that's all, no I don't want anything to drink, yes it was very good but that's all I can eat. We as a country and as individuals have convinced ourselves we need, must have the large amounts of food we consume, is it any wonder we resist anything that might stop us from freely and literally eating our hearts out.