DIETING AT HOME....ALONE?

    My diet had been going pretty good and it was a Wednesday 

    night. The wife and kids were going to the church supper of 

    fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy and other fattening 

    stuff. "No," I said, "I better stay at home alone and have my 

    special diet dinner. Y'all have a good time...see ya later." 

    They departed and I hurried into the kitchen to fix my diet 

    meal of turkey, slice of bread, some spinach and an apple. I 

    didn't want to spend too much time in the kitchen, less I be 

    tempted, so I ate the food quickly while standing up at the 

    kitchen counter. Off to the den to watch TV. Good, dinner was 

    over and I was out of the kitchen, even if I didn't feel very 

    full or satisfied from the meal. 

  
    It was then I heard the first little voice. But I was home 

    alone, wasn't I? Then, there it was again! "Hey, I am ice 

    cold in here," it said. I heard it clearly. Then it 

    continued, "I'm the leftover potato salad....I'm ice cold and 

    the pickles and mayonnaise make me taste so good. You were so 

    legal last night and didn't have any...and today you have 

    only had 1200 calories so far....what could just a little bit 

    hurt. You deserve it. You earned it."   How can I hold out 

    against such logical reasons, I thought. Then I heard another 

    voice......"I would be just perfect for such a good dieter as 

    a reward...I am the last bowl of chocolate pudding that your 

    5-year old wouldn't eat last night. I can't be used as desert 

    for the family and no-body wants me. I would be just perfect 

    for you." Now I am hearing these two voices....repeating over 

    and over...and the craving in my stomach is increasing. I am 

    at home, alone and no-one would know or say anything to me if 

    I did indulge. Besides the evidence would be gone. I feel 

    sure that we will have to throw the leftovers away in a few 

    days anyway...and what about all the starving people in other 

    parts of the world. Well, if all this wasn't enough...then I 

    hear yet one more sound....."POP, POP, POP....I am the 

    popcorn sitting here in the tin can....won't you please pop 

    some of me...it would be so good...and with a little bit of 

    extra melted butter and salt....oh, I would be such a good 

    reward for you....you have been such a good dieter these past 

    several weeks."  I can feel what little will-power I had left 

    dwindling away. I know what is about to happen and I know I 

    will hate it in the morning. But what could I do? No-one 

    would be expected to resist these "voices" calling so loud 

    and convincingly to me. I am rising out of my chair. It is 

    almost all over but the eating...the voices are cheering me 

    on...my stomach is doing flip-flops. Then, I have a one last 

    desperate thought. The mail hasn't been brought in today and 

    I was expecting an important letter. Hurriedly I put on my 

    jacket and dash to the mailbox. Heck, no mail. But I can 

    still hear the voices from my kitchen calling me ....as 

    loudly as ever. What is this, telepathy? Maybe if I just 

    walked down the street a little bit or something. After all I 

    am outside with my coat on....so I start down the street. It 

    is a full five minutes away from my house before the voices 

    start to dwindle..and other thoughts start to drift into my 

    mind....and that emptiness in my stomach begins to subside. 

    After ten minutes of walking, I turn around and walk home. It 

    has now been twenty minutes since my desperate exit from the 

    house. The voices are stilled. Things are quiet. My appetite 

    is satisfied.   Was this real?    I open the fridge just to 

    see...and those things are still there, whose names I won't 

    call out loud....but they are silent and don't even look so 

    attractive now.  I retire to my den and begin reading an 

    interesting book that I had forgotten about and the evening 

    passes quietly until the family returns. Saved! Thank 

    goodness for the mailbox....and then the walk...whatever. 

    Perhaps if those voices ever start to call for me again, I 

    will get up and do something sooner. I almost lost it last 

    time and I don't want that to happen again when I am home.... 

    ALONE !

                                          by M.D. Smith