Okay, so maybe you can't call what I did science, really.
Keep in mind that my tenth grade science (chem) teacher called me "a lost ball in high weeds" and encouraged me to cheat. (His exact words, etched into my mind, were, "When in doubt, look about. It's better to cheat than to repeat. But if you get caught, it's your own fault. Now bend yo' head, and smell some lead.")
Yesterday I decided to give Positive a trial run. I've heard so much about the concept, kind of how I kept hearing this annoying tale of kids on gluten free diets struggling less with language and behavior -- I didn't like the premise because it didn't make my life initially sound any easier, but for a payoff, I could experiment with it for a day.
Well, I don't know about anyone else in the world and gfcf, and I surely don't know the how and the why -- the science, if you will -- but about 30 some hours after removing g and c from the rooster's diet, we whipped out the video camera because suddenly for the first time ever he and his sister had a conversation.
He's not perfect. He has many language and behavior miles to go before we sleep. But that first day made a huge impact on us, kind of like yesterday did on me with the whole, yes, I do dare say it, Positive experiment.
Yesterday, I decided to test the much publicized hypothesis that when grumpy people go on a negative free diet, they actually improve their language and behavior too, and that many unexpected rewards can follow. Huh. So yesterday I flew in the face of the deities to see if I'd be killed. Unscientifically, I posit this: I think maybe I'm still standing today. More positively: I had a good day yesterday. Even though I said I thought I would. I put out good energy, smiled extra, and avoided kvetching overly. And? Work was okay, the kids handled an unexpected/unusual trip to the Farmer's Market, J helped me arrange it so I could attend the work holiday party for an hour or so, and a friend volunteered to babysit for me soon. Not too shabby!
So we stuck with the gfcf thing, knowing every day would not be perfect, and sometimes we question if the diet is really helping, but infractions and their consequences make us believers, make us think the hard work is worthwhile; and I plan to give this Positive thing more time, too, despite how it goes against my nature and my cravings. And my writing style. So please bear with me.
Thank you to all my role models in the land of Positive, and to P for perfect timing of support, and to C and E for sharing the journal and the shirt with me. It helps ease my fear of the deities. Thank you all for holding my mental hand. I think... I think... I think I'm going to be okay at this positive stuff. I think so.
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3 comments:
You can do it! It gets easier with time, I swear. :-)
Wow, your teacher was nuts. It is far better to learn the material- even with a second presentation.
Anyway, we're into positive thinking here, too. Even in the midst of the Witching Hour- distract and engage, baby. Distract and engage.
Just for the record:
I did NOT take the science teacher's advice!
I have this really annoying honesty compulsion. And I became a teacher. Cheating? Not okay.
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