I’ve been traveling again. It seems we travel a good bit in the Fall since that’s our favorite time of the year. This trip, the hubs and I attended some how-to-be-a-Santa-and-Mrs. Claus classes in Michigan. You would think the very fact we were dealing with Santas would have given me a clue about the foods that would be offered, yet somehow it did not.
We arrived the first morning at 8:15 a.m. and the cookies & hot cocoa table was already slammed. I mean, Santas were hitting it hard. In fact, the hubs got in line as he needed a coffee fix. He waited in line and as he approached the cookie section of the refreshment table, a rather large Santa cut in front of him and asked was he going to take that last chocolate chip cookie. Hubs politely declined and that Santa snatched that cookie up so fast that crumbs started flying. It only gets more cut-throat from there.
At each break, the Santas would weeble-wobble themselves (as quickly as they were able) into the “cookie area” to see if any more cookies were available and to grab a handful. During one such break, the hubs went after more coffee and witnessed a Mrs. Claus filling a plastic zip bag with cookies. Y’all. We were not prepared for the frenzy that surrounded this cookie table.
Late afternoon on the first day, I had a breakout session in the “cookie area.” The host made an announcement that the staff was about to clean the tables in preparation for the next day. As soon as the words came out of her mouth…that table was bum-rushed. And when I say these Santas are portly, I’m trying to be polite and not offend.
The unbelievable part was that this was just the beginning of the conference. It went on like this the whole time. Needless to say, I didn’t eat any of the cookies, nor did I drink the cocoa. I had prepared and brought my own snacks and made coffee at the camper in the mornings. I was able to find some keto-friendly choices for myself at all but one meal. I actually lost 2.5 lbs on this trip by making smart choices and even without exercising because we didn’t get much physical activity.
However, my success is not what this post is about though. Here’s what I really want to say about this experience: I saw so much obesity and gluttony, it almost gave me a sick feeling. So many of these Santas and Mrs. Clauses were overweight and unhealthy. I can only imagine the medical issues that some of them are currently facing or will in the near future.
Please don’t take this as me being judgmental. I’ve been obese. I’ve been unhealthy. I’ve rushed to the cookie table. But, my friends, as a society, what are we doing? What have we become in that we are teetering around and seeking out cookies? Why are we perpetuating this lifestyle of overindulgence? Now that I know better, I want to do better. That’s what I hope to accomplish with this blog. I want to share what I’ve learned. Not to shame anyone, but to open our eyes to a healthier life…a better life.
