I’ve been watching my weight; actually, I watched it, saw that it ballooned and decided to lose some of it. After all, I’m no spring-chicken anymore and maintaining a decent weight is healthy. So, I’ve been eating turkey, chicken and trying to eat veggies more often. I’ve been doing well but moderation is not my strong suit. It’s a hard battle for me. But I trudge on.
In my quest to be svelte, I trudged my butt to a local grocery store to pick up some bare essentials—nothing fattening of course. Ten seconds after I walked into the store I found myself in the meat section, staring at a package of two thin sliced beef rib-eye steaks. Perfectly marbled, no that’s not really accurate—tons of fat around it and in it. Perfectly fatted (if that’s even a word, but you know what I mean). They were perfect steaks; ones you hardly see anywhere. And they were staring at me. Eyeballing me. Mano a mano.
Why in the world would I see perfect steaks, mouthwatering steaks, right when I’m on a diet? Why now? Why not last week when I was eating like a glutton? I moved along.
Right next to the meat department they had pies. Big pies, small pies, chocolate pies, fruit pies and my favorite—banana cream pies. And I hardly ever see banana cream pies in stores out this way. Actually there was only one pie left. All by its self, looking lonely, and yes, it too, was staring at me.
Again, I asked why today, all these goodies, when I’m trying to lose weight! I felt sort of mature though as I said no the devilish looking pie. But I decided to compromise. Knowing that walking is good for weight loss I walked back to the meat department and grabbed those rib-eye bad-boys. After all, they were thinly sliced and I decided not to get the pie. Quite the big-boy I thought. I tried to convince myself that I did well by compromising. But I knew better. I knew I had faltered. But I got to thinking.
Why is it that when someone’s on a diet they seem to run into foods that they usually never see when they’re chowing down like Viking conquerors? Why is it that when we’re in a hurry driving to get somewhere, everyone in front of us is driving 10 miles under the speed limit?
Or, why is it that sometimes people who get into committed relationships or walk down the aisle with someone other than the person of their dreams and then right after they do, run into a Playboy model with the body of a goddess and the heart of saint or a man who’s handsome, rich, monogamous and promises the world. Why after?
From fattening foods, to driving, to relationships to a myriad of things in life . . . why do they so often happen at the exact wrong times! I have the answer. I’ve seen the light. It’s simple and scientific! I jest a bit here but here it goes: It’s because . . . life’s a bitch and then you die. We’ve heard this saying so often and we laughed it off. But think about it. It’s similar to that other kind of mindless saying: poop happens. I guess all they really mean is that life occurs, life happens and sometimes, life seems unfair.
I thought some more and came up with my personal answer to this bad timing thing. I guess it’s up to us to assess and handle life in all its terrible timing and bad curve balls but also in its great timing and straight dead-on pitches. It is up to us to move along and adapt to all of life and to do our best to make it our friend.
In reality life is not a bitch. Life is great and it’s a privilege to be alive. Much of it is probably all about making good with what is thrown at us no matter how bad the timing may be. Life happens and we adapt to whatever occurs and go on toward the positive. We make it good, no matter what, this thing called life.
Steve's a three-time survivor of violence in his youth, a former police supervisor and a graduate of The Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) and was also an award winning part-time college Criminal Justice instructor.
For several years, Steve did written and radio political and current event commentary and was the former host of the long running 'The Kovacs Perspective' Internet radio and TV talk show.
Steve presently owns a small businesses in Ohio--The Mayfield Academy of Self-Defense.
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