wisdom teeth lost, wisdom gained

okay, this is a lesson that i need to learn…..

i’m still having trouble eating because of getting my wisdom teeth out last week. tonight, i just couldn’t take it anymore.

so after much deliberation as to what would be the perfect food to begin easing my way back to my former carnivorous state, i decided to take darby to taco bell. (c.c. - not so much a fan of the taco bell - had a party so she didn’t get a say in the matter). i had decided that a bean burrito was what the doctor ordered.

so, i ordered three bean burritos, one for me, one for darby, and another one just in case it wasn’t as difficult to eat as i was expecting.

it was a PAINFULLY slow process. i have to focus my chewing on my front teeth, which means really small bites. i noticed that darby was downing her burrito faster than me! the girl can chow down, no doubt, but that just shows you how slow i was.

but after a few minutes i just decided to go with the flow, slow down and enjoy the meal with my girl. we danced in our seats to the music. of course we practiced our drumming on the table. this has become a dinner ritual. we laughed at the funny chili pepper on the wall with a cowboy hat. “seeeeee” (silly).

so here’s the lesson: i’m an overeater.

out of habit for sure, but also just out of plain hurry.

now, i don’t want to be overdramatic, but this is big to me. besides the physical health aspect, i see a couple of implications of my discovery tonight:

* in our ongoing effort to be better financial stewards, c.c. and i have learned time and again that when we botch up our budget, it’s almost always because of going overboard on food. specifically, dining out. and by “dining,” i’m including mcdonald’s.

* i’m also on a personal quest to do battle with my overconsumption in general. i think i just realized a subtle way that i go with the flow in that arena. i think the process of keeping my eating/spending in check will help me stay aware of all the ways i’m tempted to consume more than i need.

even as my swelling goes down and i get back to my former eating “chops”, i’m going to really give it a good college try. to discipline myself to eat less, thereby spending less, and to slow down and enjoy my food and the sacred ritual of sharing of a meal with my family and friends.

(and if you’re keeping score, the third burrito was shared between the two of us. i’m telling you, the GIRL CAN EAT!!)