DAY 8: Hansel and Gretel

In 2008 I was involved in a near-fatal car crash, which left me bedridden for an excruciating six months.  I’ve mentioned before that when one is confined to a bed for an indefinite period, the mind becomes a powerful tool.

In my book Where is Home?, I address the topic of laughter.  The quote, “If you don’t laugh at life, life will laugh at you,” is a result of this period of confinement and the hope (that forever played on in my mind) of a strong light at the end of the tunnel.

I woke up anxious this morning, searching for a hint of light, hoping to observe some indication that the oncoming week had promise.  The bathroom scale reading was the first sign which sparkled almost four kilograms lighter.  My son was delighted after a weekend of festivities, and my wife was singing a new ritual of hugs and kisses.  For a brief moment, I almost forgot the dark cloud of tubbiness, throbbing directly above.

I arrived at work in high spirits.  My feet were almost skipping to a tune, humming secretly in my mind.  I was thinking of how I had embarrassed my son this morning when I screamed “I love you!” as he entered the school.  His friends chuckled in the distance; he did not conceal his anger towards me. 

Laughter is a medicine on its own. If we all took the time to exercise this contagious emotion, wouldn’t the world be a better place?  And if we surrounded our day with this positive remedy, we would all inherit a power to observe any obstacle from a different perspective. 

The lingering path ahead seems shorter; there are only 358 hurdles before me.  I’ve acquired a sudden injection of confidence. My work colleague is no longer associated with an unhealthy food product; her yellow sweater has inspired me to embrace a bowl of diced pineapple with yoghurt for my mid-afternoon snack.  I do not feel guilty about the slice of cake I abducted last Saturday, although The Three Tenors were in full soprano last night over the final piece which rested on the kitchen counter.

The story of Hansel and Gretel came to mind.  As children, I recalled my mother reciting this 'horror' tale to us before bedtime; two children, lured into a home made entirely out of candy, and baked in an oven by a wicked old witch.  I laughed privately as I remembered those intimate moments.  

If I had researched the moral of the story, I would have realised that there are serious repercussions to eating dessert.  If Hansel was not mesmerised by the candy haven which lay before him, he and Gretel would not have suffered the fate of near-death.  In the same light, if my life had not been focused on satisfying the demands of The Three Tenors, I would not be suffering with my weight today.

I have decided to invest all this new burst of energy into my routine.  I am officially ignoring The Three Tenors and am finally listening to the sounds of the two children who are trapped in the furnace of the iniquitous witch.

I’m sending them a positive message that help is finally on its way.

Weight for me tomorrow. Paul

Paul Lambis is the author of “Where is Home?” – A journey of hilarious contrasts.  

For more information on Paul Lambis, and to order his book online, visit www.paul-lambis.com