It's a new year and a new beginning for most. I hope everyone's
holidays were bright and all things exceeded expectations. I, for one,
am glad for the New Year because it gives a chance for reflection and
cleansing. It's a time where we can reflect on things that went well
the year before and the things that didn't. It's also a time where we
choose to change or reaffirm ourselves and the things we deem
acceptable. It's a new beginning and I love new beginnings.
I'm
writing from my aunt's laptop instead of my own computer. It's a bit
unsettling since I know any and all things that I do on this computer
will be scrutinized if I don't take care to log out and erase any
history I've logged on it. Yes, it it that serious. You maybe
wondering why I would purposely subject myself to such strict
surveillance at 25 years of age. Simple: it's tradition. Now, I'm not
talking of the West Indian tradition of parents treating their children
like 12 year olds until they've acquired lodgings and occupations of
their own. I'm referring, rather, to the Haitian tradition of New Year
gathering and Joumou: squash soup.
The way my mother explained it to
me was that the eating of squash soup on the first of the year if the
celebration of Haiti's independence. You see, during the time of French
occupation and slavery on the island, slaves were not allowed to
partake in squash. Of all things, if they were caught eating the gourd,
then they would be hanged, no exceptions. So, once they gained their
independence, Haitians, as a spit in the face of their former captors,
gorged on all the squash, pumpkin, and other kinds of gourd they could
get their hands on, boiling them down to hearty soups with various
trimmings.
Each year, many families visit one another and trade
their homemade soups and spend time in one another's presence. Friends
stop buy to trade as well and children may receive monetary gifts
according to their ages. For example, I was spending the January 1st
with my mother, aunt, and a handful of my cousins and they lined us up
from youngest to oldest. My brother, who was around six at the time
received $6 along with a cousin of the same age. I was ten at the time,
so naturally I got $10 and so on. It's an interesting tradition, and I
look forward to it every year, only for the sake of having had
something constant to celebrate as opposed to Christmas or Valentine's
Day whose celebration is usually subject to fund availability or access
to a significant other.
Now, on a totally different note, a month
or so ago, I started using a natural remedy for ridding my face of dark
spots that included apple cider vinegar and fresh squeezed lime juice.
I've used it everyday, faithfully, before cleansing or exfoliating,
leaving it on my face for 15 minutes. The concoction is a dynamite
astringent and skin lightener. It dramatically lightened my face at
least two shades lighter, dark spots and all (wasn't really going for
that thorough a job). Yet, while it lightened the spots, it did not get
rid of them. I am happy they are less noticeable, but I'm looking to
get rid of them. My mother suggested that I go back to using the
regular Noxema cold cream, remembering how clear my face looked when I
had been using it back in middle and high school. I'm at that point in
this endeavor to where I'm willing to swallow my pride this time and
listen to her; both to see if it would give any sort of an improvement
and to see her face when I tell her it really hasn't helped any. I
know, it's really passive aggressive, but either way, I win, right?
As
for my weight, it's still fluctuating like crazy, yet I notice there is
a change in my physical appearance. My body looks a lot slimmer and
toned. I'm not as hungry most days (unless I'm upset) and I do have
more energy. Yet, the scale remains around 164-165lbs. I'm beginning
to think it's muscle at this point, because I don't know what else they
want me to do at this point. I do three types of cardio a day, sweets
are practically non-existent, I lift a little bit of weights to tone
everything out, I even take a shot of apple cider vinegar with an H2O
chaser in the morning because of the fat burning benefits I've heard it
to possess. Yet, my numbers will go no lower.
Now, this situation
as me a little worried, but not too much so. I know I've lost a great
deal of fat due to the changes in my appearance and the way my clothes
fit. Yet, in order to prove that I don't possess as much fat as they
feel I do (the cut off for body fat percentage is 33%; I estimated mine
to be around 27%), the guys at DEP need to measure me. Which is where
my problem lies: everyone in the Navy recruiting office is male and
they're not allowed to take my measurements since I am female. Whenever
I am there, they never seem to have a female in the other offices to
help out. So, while it looks as if I may be screwed come the next DEP
meeting, I feel eerily calm. I know the hard work I put into losing
this weight, but apparently, because everyone at the office is
disorganized and lazy, I'm going to lose my contract; not
because I didn't try. I won't worry, though, as frustrating a thought
it will be. There are already other opportunities opening themselves up
to me in the case this does not come to pass.
It is the first of
the year and there are many things that I want to do differently, yet I
refused to make a definite resolution. No, its not because I'm afraid
of commitment. Yet, aside from the thought of New Year's resolutions
being cliche, I feel that every sunrise is an opportunity to start over
and to have the New Year as a set starting point puts on the pressure
for success; and not in a good way. Though, I will say that I will try
to continue on this path of self-improvement I've started on, body,
mind, and soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment