Body: Can you explain why you decided to force Hand and Mouth to finish that plate of food last night, even though we’d had enough to sustain us?
Mind: Well of COURSE we had to finish it. It’s not polite to leave a half-finished plate of food on the table!
Body: What do you mean it’s not polite? We were at a restaurant – they don’t care how much you eat as long as you pay the bill!
Mind: Yes, but… there were other people around. They might think we’re finicky if we don’t eat our food.
Body: Did you not notice that some of them left food on their plates?
Mind: Well I guess they’re just not as polite as we are.
Body: Or their minds actually know how to listen to their bodies! Imagine that.
Mind: No need to get snippy. I was just looking out for our best interests. After all – weren’t you sending me signals about how good it tasted?
Body: Oh yes, it tasted good, but the first few bites were good enough for enjoyment factor – you didn’t have to push right through to the end to enjoy the flavour.
Mind: You’re annoying. And hey – it was YOUR hand and mouth that were cooperating!
Body: Ummm… in case you haven’t noticed, they can’t do much without your direction.
Mind: Details, details.
Body: Maybe if you’d stopped forcing them to shovel food in at the speed of light, you would have noticed that the taste buds had dulled by the time the plate was half empty. I was TRYING to tell you it was time to stop.
Mind: Oh now you’re going to complain about how fast I eat. I can never satisfy you. I HAVE to eat fast, or She’ll catch on that you’re sending her a different message than I am and she’ll stop. That would never do.
Body: Why?
Mind: Well… don’t you remember back when we were young and we had to pile enough food on our plates so that our hungry older brothers wouldn’t take it all? I’m just trying to protect Her from the food running out.
Body: Newsflash: we’re not young anymore. AND… in the 44years we’ve been around, we’ve never run out of food, so why would we now?
Mind: You haven’t heard of the random food-snatchers who steal food from people’s plates in restaurants?
Body: Nope, never heard of them.
Mind: Well, you’d better watch out for them next time.
Body: So, what you’re telling me is that you’re eating out of fear of the food-snatchers?
Mind: You make it sound so silly. Maybe it was fear, maybe it was to help her feel better about all the sadness in her life, maybe it was because of the spiritual void – hey, I’m just trying to help!
Body: I know that, but maybe if you listened to me, we could help her together.
Mind: I doubt it. You’re always trying to get her to do stuff that’s ridiculous and tiring.
Body: Like last night after supper when I wanted to go for a bike ride and you convinced Her to lie around in front of the TV with more food?
Mind: Yeah, like that. What was up with that? Didn’t She deserve a little down time? She’d had a hard day with whiny kids and too much work pressure!
Body: Maybe you don’t realize, but that stuff she’s trying to work through? The sadness, the spiritual void? I could help her with that. A good bike ride is more spiritual than you think.
Mind: Don’t be ridiculous. She has to work that stuff out in her MIND! That’s what I’m here for.
Body: Yeah, but you try to work it out with food and mindless TV.
Mind: Blah, blah, blah. You’re getting on my nerves.
Body: Listen to me… if you don’t wise up, life could get very difficult for both of us.
Mind: Is that a threat? What are you going to do? You can’t even make your own mouth scream without my help.
Body: Oh, I have my ways of screaming without you. You know those illnesses that your smart doctors can’t figure out?
Mind: Yeah, they’re an endless source of frustration for my mind friends.
Body: Did you ever stop to think that those might be bodies trying to be heard?
Mind: Whatever! You’re not that smart without me.
Body: You might be surprised.
Mind: Okay, I’ve had about enough of this conversation. I’m putting us to sleep so I don’t have to think of this any more.
Note: If you want to know more about the ongoing conversation between my body and my mind, I have related posts up at Blisschick and Square Peg Reflections.