Even though we have a few days to go before Thanksgiving, I think this week’s topic is appropriate for the weeks “before” as well as “during and following” the holiday.
I don’t know why the irony of the term “gobble, gobble” didn’t dawn on me until recently. Considering that Thanksgiving, in its purest form, is about gratitude, isn’t it funny that the term “gobble” means “to swallow, eat greedily, take eagerly, or grab.” The term does more than capture a rather elementary description of a squawking fowl, it perhaps quietly calls “foul” on some of our initially benign holiday plans and practices that become all-consuming, all too soon.
I realize that my thoughts today may spike the season with an early shot of cynicism. That being said…just think about many of the activities leading up to and following Turkey Day — grocery shopping, football channel surfing, snack stuffing, Black Friday bargain hunting, gift scavenging. While many of us engage in “pure” holiday activities of grace and gratefulness, many of us also “gobble, gobble.” Consumption, for some, reaches its highest point of the year.
“Gobbling” behavior suggests that we are hungry, perhaps starving. Why? Generally speaking, I think a few things may be at play.
- We “gobble” to self-satisfy. This may sound self-indulgent. It’s not. The reality is that the holiday season marks for many the end of (or at least a moratorium on) a year of hard work, relentless drive. We finally catch a break or [not so simply] allow ourselves to take one. Our craving to enjoy and bask in holiday pleasures takes on a life of its own. Boundaries between merriment fun and merriment frenzy become a little blurred.
- We “gobble” to satisfy others. Are we martyrs? No. The reality is that this is indeed the “giving” season and we seize every chance to do so. The annual floodgates open — in the form of advertisements for blockbuster sales or new sugar cookie recipes – and present opportunity after opportunity to make the people about whom we care happy. Our craving to give – bake, shop, entertain – takes on a life of its own. Boundaries between reasonable gestures and excessive ones become a little blurred.
Unfortunately but not surprisingly, too much gobbling is unhealthy. While certain foods lead to hyperactivity and others render us lethargic, consumptive behaviors of any kind have a similarly wiring or tiring effect. Any system on overload – digestive or otherwise – is less able to function effectively. During a period of supposed holiday cheer, instead of its relishing:
- We lose perspective and, in so doing,
- We overdo and, in so doing,
- We miss out.
Our challenge for the season lies in being aware of and monitoring our “gobbling” – a task made more difficult in a environment of fun and festivity where we think our effort is worth every bite. As you ready for your own holiday season, perhaps the following questions will help you practice restraint:
- Do you “gobble, gobble” during the holidays?
- If so, in what specific situations/under what conditions?
- What happens when you do?
- What can you do to curb your appetite?
- What are the benefits to a leaner approach? What makes it challenging?