the importance of balance

[saw]

dec. 16, 2007

I don't really believe
that green tea and shark cartilage
are going to spare me
from an early grave

but i do like the notion
of trying to trick my brain cells
into believing
they have a battle on their hands

the little bastards are so smug
sitting there in their amen corner
grinning, waiting righteously
for me to drop my guard

sip a few more bloody mary's
wolf down a couple more tasty cake
french apple pies...then whammo !
it's on....all out war

the enemy signals bravo company
to move out, jam some more
of that super glue junk into my
already narrowing arteries

while charlie company marches up and over
heartbreak ridge, planting a tiny victory flag
in the center of my over-taxed ticker....so
i get my kicks by pissing them off

confounding the goodie two shoes
by popping a handful of mega-duty
multivitamins slugged down with
a diet dr. pepper

and a johnny walker chaser....screw 'em !
I never hired them to be my private little guard-dogs
c'mon, what's wrong with knockin' back a bass ale or two
while eating a pint of double fudge cookie dough ice cream

in the bathtub, what the hell am I working for ?!
to prove to the world what an angel I can be ?
hell, no one would buy that crap in the first place,
and secondly if I turned into mr. perfect

my in-laws would be dropping by unannounced
HELLO !
excuse me, it's time for me to wash down
some bee pollen, spirulina, and garlic

with a shot of wild turkey,
it's time.....
to get my yin in tune....
with my yang dang doodle

[Doreen Peri]

Hah! What a mixture! I enjoyed this piece very much. Terrific imagery, a good pace, and a conversational type voice which I like in a poem.

I remember some people I knew in college who used to eat macrobiotic foods, exclusively, then drop acid and ingest other various substances on weekends. What a combination!

I fit in the hypocritical category. I'm addicted to working out and eating clean (no junk food, no fried foods, very healthy eating).... then I come home from the gym and drink some vodka and smoke a cigarette.

hahahaha.... When I drop dead, you'll know why.

"The Importance of Balance" ... what a great title for this piece.

[mtmynd]

I connected to a lot of this. Ever since I had my double angioplasty my entire life changed with my okay... I may not live any longer (how do I really know the answer to that anyway?) but after a life of abuse, what happened to me had to have been a signal to reevaluate what I willingly put this old body thru for more years than I care to admit.

Now it's 2x day fistful of vitamins, supplements coupled with two prescription drugs... one can't be too safe when life is seen through willful eyes. You never know... Add to that daily regime an okay from my cardiologist no more that 2 beers or glasses of wine (with a meal, please!), that I find to be sufficient for me anymore... not like the old days when I was young and out to outdo myself and ability to moderate.

As you wrote so spot on :

"... but i do like the notion
of trying to trick my brain cells
into believing
they have a battle on their hands"

For me it's a battle against ego versus bodily needs... no more smoking anything, limited alcohol (I've really enjoyed it so much more!), and lower salt intake and reading those ingredients in food, canned and frozen, every grocery day... another attempt at tricking my brain cells.

[revolutionR]

I take lots of herbs and supplements
I was in a meditation community back in 75'
the leader there had brought back spirulina from japan
he tried to put a patent on it, but he could not pull it off.
I did my share of drugs and alcohol but at the same time
I was learning about health foods, it's a life long learning.
there is always something new to find out about.I think
each person has their own rate of learning about their
own health condition. I will not tell the woman living
next door to me to stop drinking diet soda pop, because
it is even worse for her diabetic condition. I would if I
thought she would really listen to me. One final note,
the health care system is broken, its like they have all
this technology but we are still living in the dark ages.

[saw]

Doreen, mtmynd, rev R...enjoyed the lengthy descriptions of your personal experiences

you may have noticed i wrote this 7 years ago when I was under a lot of stress at work and in my marriage...and decided to post this now to remind myself how far I've come

I alter my consciousness with the utmost moderation these days ..eat really well..take supplements...try to buy organic as much as possible...stretch and meditate every morning... and i feel really great for an old man...the best part is people that knew me then asking what happened ....
ha ha....as a compliment....it has been like night and day...i have energy and still work as a carpenter...there are few 66 year old carpenters in my area, if any....so by damn it

i'm gonna keep on doin' it !

[judih]

great advertisement, Steve, for living well.

if you look over your shoulder, you'll see me travelling that 60s path, just down the road

[WIREMAN]

placebos for the masses....things that are popular today only to be scorned tomorrow......give me the bloodies & bass ales.....and yes diet dp is the best diet soft drink by far

[creativesoul]

the commitee- the crew that talks all day long and says' have another one'
because you can
but lately i am on the rations of an army that is beat-
most of the antibiotics i am taking help me to breathe-
i have SOS cigs hidden
in case of emergency=[when harming another indivdual would not be for the common good]
but i resist the temptation because i do not want to maki on smoke
nit that kind anyway

here where i live
kindness is everything
because i am one foot in the ground and one is still walking around
slightly confuses me- sometimes because i am unsure of which voice to listen to; perhaps putting a circle of chairs and letting them all share-
i have talked to my various selves and asked in a nice way - if we could just have a little cooperation....