So today I attended a 4 hour session in our Whole Health Clinic, it is a great program that is designed to help you incorporate all aspects ( body, mind and spirit) of well-being into a workable solution for you. One that you can live with. It truly was educational and enlightening, I am in.
You make a commitment to the program for 3 months. While I am in the meeting I am listening and becoming excited about the possibilities. I can do this. I mean I have already committed to 4 hours right? Better Health is always a plus.
After the session, I head downstairs to my office and I am greeted by “Social Cake” you know cake that is to say good-bye or maybe Happy Birthday or a new baby or because it’s Tuesday. The cake you feel compelled to eat a piece of even though you just left a total wellness program not 5 minutes ago. I knew it would be there, but I thought I timed it right that the celebration would be over.
You walk into the office and there it is, your boss waves you over, and the cake is there, teasing and taunting you like a drug. It is a quarter sheetcake, about 2 inches tall before frosting about 2.5 tall with frosting. It looks like a wedding cake for God’s sakes covered with white Roses. It was on special someone says, and the cutting begins. The knife approaches the cake and slices through it, the first piece comes out…it has lemon cream filling, of course. And while you are sure you are strong enough to say no, next thing you know you are nodding and a plate with cake is in your hand. As you mindlessly ( didn’t you just learn about mindful eating?) put that first bite on the fork and lift it towards your mouth..you can’t turn back you have been socially engineered…by a cake.
It’s true, eat for the social aspect. It’s a dangerous practice, unless it’s healthful, but when was the last time someone brought bacon cooked Kale (which is delicious) for a birthday treat. Talk about living on the edge, you may not survive the backlash, so you give in and bring the cake, or donuts, candy whatever, it better be sweet and sugary, like heroin.
It’s a social ritual I would go as far to say it is part of office culture. You want to fit in? play the office game, eat the cake. You want to be on the fringe of your office culture ?? skip out on a group lunch, how many is pushing the envelope two times a month? but pass on three and they just stop asking. It’s a very interesting dynamic and it has been present in every organization I have ever worked for, social cake.
I think I am going to start a revolution, overthrow the cake and start-up social kale or maybe spinach.
Until Next Time,
LJ
Eclectic Energy 