During my childhood days, gluttony was a habit that I knew deep down me that was bad but I was driven by my insatiable desire to eat without limit. My gluttony was NOT a sort of hunger nor scarcity of food but the desire to eat beyond normal satisfaction. The more I saw food, the more I desired to eat. I was always the first person to ask for more food at any gathering I attended. No matter how full I felt, there was a crave to eat more. This habit caused many people including my family members to dislike me.
On December 25th, 2009, I had an unforgettable experience that landed me into a very big trouble. My family always had done a big Christmas celebrations this day. Our house on this day, was always filled with thick delicious aromas of all delicacies. Different sorts of food such as pounded yam, fried turkey and chicken, goat peppered soup, fried and jollof rice were prepared. As a result, I made up my mind that I will eat to no limit. So, after the Christmas church service, we were asked by our mother to get a plate of our choices for our food to be dished in.
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Wow! What an opportunity! (But what do you think a glutton would do?)
Boom! I hurriedly rushed into the kitchen and made a choice of my plate. Guess what! I took a plate that can contain the food of more than three adults. My Mum was not happy at my gluttonic lifestyle but she dished the food in my choice of plate. Before the twinkle of an eye, I devoured it all. Despite the fact that my stomach was already full, I still went back to ask for more. My aunt, Mrs Barnsely who came to celebrate the festive season with us gave me a bad look. I knew she was not happy. My Mum did same but I pretended as if I didn't see any of them till I collected my food and left.
As the day went on, I was NOT hungry but the insatiable desire to eat more was on my neck. As a result, I quietly sneaked into the kitchen and grabbed more meat and drinks. Unfortunately, the meat I took was not good for human consumption. It was separated to be thrown away alongside the expired drinks I took. Hence I didn't know why they were separated, I thought they were all meant for eating, so I ate and drank them all.
Moments later, I started feeling bloated. The pain started as little ache which later escalated to twisting cramps. I managed to control it but it was beyond my reach. I rushed myself to the bathroom where I nearly vomitted my intestines. The embarrassment was too much for me to bear, especially for my cousins who teased me about gluttony.
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Well, every challenge faced in life comes with better opportunities for change. I decided to disclose my condition to my Dad. Seeing the condition being critical, he rushed me to a nearby hospital where I was given medical treatments. After making sure I was alright, my Dad sat me down and adviced me on self-control and the need to desist from the act of gluttony. He said, "there is more to life than the desire for food." He reminded me that, " gluttony was NOT only a bad habit for my health but disrespectful and embarrassing. It can cause people to dislike you as well," he added.
But has any of you tried stopping a habit before? Hmmm! Breaking this habit was not easy. But was there any option? NO. As a result, I started making little changes and I was helped by my mother. Whenever we sat for food, I was only given a moderate portion. At first, it was very difficult to cope. I would sit at the table, staring at leftovers with watering mouth. But I made up my mind NOT to go back to it again.
I also started reading books on nutrition and its effects. I read about how gluttony is a deadly poison. This study helped me a lot. I later joined our church's football team where my relationship with food was automatically cut-off. This new motivation, coupled with my disciplinary actions saved me from the grip of gluttony.
Therefore, that painful Christmas experience, as embarrassing and humiliating as it was became a turning point for me. I learnt valuable lessons about self-control and self-restraint, which has kept me till this day.
