Food for thought

Will this diet never end? They had a special breakfast on in the staff cafe this morning – any item you wanted for only 19p. So I could have had two fried eggs, four sausages, six rashers of bacon, some fried tomatoes, half a tin of beans, lots of greasy mushrooms and some rounds of fried bread for under a fiver. Instead I had a bowl of Rice Krispies and an apple, neither of which were included in the offer. It’s a bloody conspiracy.
After work I took a bus up to Sheringham, on the North Norfolk coast. We used to go there on summer Sundays in my early teens, in the years when mum still cared more for her children than she did for the bottle. It was nice, and reminded me that there are still a few happy memories in amongst the trauma and maternal blackouts. Something really struck me as I made my way back to the bus stop in the early afternoon. I had been walking up and down the beach for a couple of hours, and even climbed the many steps above the lifeboat station so I could look out from the cliff, and the amazing thing was that I wasn’t out of breath, and I wasn’t soaked in sweat. I’m only halfway through my dieting, and I already feel healthier, and better within my own person. This may seem a strange thing to say, but I may be changing the thoughts of a lifetime and realising there are benefits in a decent lifestyle.
Please God, I hope it doesn’t last…

RC 15-5-09
2025 BST