Fighting Hunger

Coming soon to an American city near you!












Now that I'm fasting and I'm halfway through my first day, I have to play a game with myself.  I have to pretend that this gnawing feeling of hunger I'm now walking around with is "a good thing."  Not only is it good, it's downright "noble".  This is the game I have to play with myself at the beginning of a fast because the first two to three days are the hardest part to get through for me.  It's like my body and mind will team up against me and come up with a relentless amount of fantastic reasons why I should put some more cheap and unnutritious food into my mouth.

With the game's help during the fast I can convince myself that I'm actually a worthwhile intelligent creative person, a boost my ego is always looking for since being poor in America is like being a cat in a dog kennel.  After all, we might as well face it, Americans HATE POOR PEOPLE!  The trick here is not to let myself feel deprived which is something all well adjusted poor people have to do on a daily basis if we want to keep our dignity from being systematically stripped away from us. 

The other thing I have to keep convincing myself is that "I am doing this for my health and it has nothing to do with the fact that I can't afford to buy food that my body would thank me for feeding it."  If I don't keep this up front, I might start to feel sorry for myself and that isn't an emotion I enjoy at all.  Personally, self pity  is something that I try to avoid at all costs because being stuck in that will shut me down faster than having a house dropped on my head.

Initially during a fast it may be hard to think rationally but facts stand that fasting helps rid the body of toxins, facilitates healing, and actually promotes life longevity.  I haven't had any health insurance in almost ten years so it's important to keep my body from coming down with anything serious because I wouldn't be able to get treatment for it if I did.  So far, I haven't needed a doctor in all this time and I'd like to keep it that way since I don't trust them anyway.

Although it's been awhile since I fasted (my last fast was over a year ago and lasted exactly one week) I remember going from being in the same semi-depressed tired state to a state of increased energy and mental clarity.  As a poor person, I am constantly having to rid myself of negative thoughts to keep myself focused on just getting through the day on a budget of nothing which means in a nutshell I won't be going anywhere more interesting than around the block for a walk anytime soon.

Exercise is really a must for the chronically poor since it is free.  The media will have you believe otherwise by advertising fancy gyms, good workout shoes, and the like but I'm here to tell say you can get yourself in optimal shape without spending a dime.  Nothing gets me feeling like a million dollars (okay $100) than a good long jog. 

The thing is that contrary to the name of this blog, poverty can do you in if you are not on top of it and let it get to you.  The evidence of this is all around you if you just look.  Poor people are more likely to be sick, over-weight, addicted to something, mentally ill, and just plain apathetic.  Living successfully through poverty is definitely not for the feeble minded, you must take charge of your physical and mental well being if you want to survive it. 

That's why I'm fasting this week.  It's basically survival 101 for this poverty stricken mom.