Sarah B. McCann

Every time I go into Target or some other large store where it seems that one can buy anything, I have the compulsion to buy a snack. It seems that every aisle one walks down, one is bombarded with some sort of food like substance that would most likely taste good, but in no way shape or form is good for you. I was in Target yesterday trying to buy paper towels, but the store is being renovated and I couldn't find them anywhere. I was hungry, having come straight from work and I did want a snack, but looking at all of those bags of chips, candy, and other crap that is marketed as food turned my stomach. I detoxed last week, cutting out all sugar, caffeine, alcohol, wheat, and dairy from my diet and doing this actually made my cravings much less. So walking through the Target aisles I had the desire for something to snack on, but because I have been treating myself right, I also had the strength to resist it. It got me thinking though that in a weaker state, I definitely would have purchased some chex mix or cookies or even candy. This led me to the question of self-control. I decided that self-control is a myth. There are just moments when one's strength is greater than one's weaknesses and moments when one's weaknesses hugely outweigh one's strengths. Circumstances then play a huge role in self-control. If one is in a weakened and vulnerable state, one is more likely to succumb to eating unhealthily in an environment that is full of unhealthy offerings. If one feels strong, then one can make it through an environment of temptations without partaking. Strengths and weaknesses are not constant however and this is why a store like Target that has a constant set of shelves with things that we don't need problematic. Of course saying that unhealthy patterns are all circumstantial overlooks the HUGE power that we as individuals have to choose at least some of what surrounds us. We can choose to work toward peace and try not to go to places full of unhealthy things when we are feeling weak or we can choose to allow unhealthy, chaotic, and violent things to surround us.

Children do not have it so easy, much of what they can choose from is decided by the adults in their lives. This is why adults MUST consider how their choices not only effect themselves, but the young people around them. Choose wisely.