Over the last few years, I rediscovered the idea of going off things for Lent. I got bored of the idea back in school, when going off something you liked was pretty much enforced. But nowadays I tend to go off something that I know I really over indulge in; for the last couple of years I’ve stopped caffeine, which was bloody hard work. This year, I’ve decided to cut out the chocolate for a few weeks.
This is something of a struggle for me. I like chocolate; I have me a lot of it. When I go shopping there’ll normally be a couple of chocolate bars there in the basket; when there are three Crème Eggs in front of me, it’ll only be about 90 seconds until there are none; when there is a box of Quality Street nearby then I can’t help myself. People rarely would go out of their way to offer me any chocolate (at least, not twice; I’ll normally have taken their hand off at the first offering), but I’ll find some and get rid of it anyway. So, I thought, I’ll stop it for a little while and then see how it goes.
Unfortunately, the world doesn’t think that it should be easy for me.
- Wednesday – First day off chocolate; someone at work buys me a KitKat despite me expressly telling them not to. It is passed on to other people.
- Thursday – Day 2; a big ol’ box of chocolate appears in the middle of the table at a meeting. It is studiously ignored.
- Friday - Boss comes back from holiday and comes bearing foreign chocolates for all. I have to leave the room.
- Saturday - A trip to the family of TLF, who proffer much in the way of chocolatey goodness. A box is taken, and stored in the kitchen cupboard for later.
- Sunday - A nice walk through areas of SE London near to the house; in a random Tesco, TLF absent-mindedly picks up two Crème Eggs, one for me and one for her. TLF ended up having two.
- Monday - A patient at work brings in some Eclairs for all to share. They are passed on to others who nearly fell over at the sight of me not taking part.
- Tuesday - The first day when the world didn’t offer me chocolate on a silver platter.
And now we’re a full week in. And I’m getting bored of it. How long do you think I’ll last?
Also, it’s interesting how different it is to be in London and explain to people that you’re going off something for Lent. People look at you rather weirdly.
If you keep it up you might find that you don’t really fancy your chocolate easter egg on Easter Sunday. For after a week or two of abstinence you won’t even think of it. But the minute you go back on it, you’ll be an addict again.
Nelly, I’ll be back on the chocolate in no time. I’m not mad or anything, and as long as I show myself that I can stop for a while, I’ll be happy.
They say that regularly stopping consumption of something to “show you can” is a sign of addiction. I, therefore, indulge in all my vices to prove I’m not addicted.
Feel free to ship any of that chocolate this way, by the way. Just trying to help.
Mmm. That means I’m an alcoholic as I regularly stop drinking from Monday to Wednesday and sometimes for even longer than that.
I tore into the chocolate at work and was roundly chastised. I explained that repentance was much more fun than holding out.
dude the guilt is what it is all about! thats how you know you are irish!