Flying, love, food as a drug, bodies, movies; mostly from comments

[cjsmith]

Some of my best stuff is in comments on other people's entries. ("Best" can mean most thought-provoking, most honest, most vulnerable, funniest, whatever.)

1. Congratulations to fyellin for passing his instrument checkride Friday! (I've been away from net connection since then.)

2. On the definitions of "in love" and "love": I use "in love" to be very like "infatuated", and to me, both are ultimately about selfishness. This has the odd effect of making "in love" and "love" near-opposites. I am completely aware that not everyone would agree on this usage. ;-)

3. On certain foods being addictive: For me, sugary things and white-flour-based things (bread, pasta...) are major, major cravings sources. [They turn me into a junkie. Seriously. Once I start, I crave them. If I don't eat them for a while, the cravings eventually stop. How very interesting, eh? Also, if I don't eat them for a while, my digestion is smoother, my blood sugar stays in a much better range, my hunger levels are more even and generally lower, my sleep is better, my energy is better...]

4. I probably would have burst into tears had I tried to comment on the entry with this link (NSFW). I still might, even without trying to comment. (Hat tip to mactavish.)

5. And people wonder why I don't watch many movies.

Comments

[platypus]

I wrote a longish comment expressing agreement about the love thing, and then I accidentally closed that tab. Argh.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*wry chuckle* I hate when I do stuff like that!

[ken_r]

I think I mostly agree with your definition of "in love". I'm not sure I'd agree about it and "love" being "near-opposites"; they're sometimes in conflict depending on circumstances. I spent a bit of time thinking about that, after moving in with a certain ex of mine... it took me a while, but I concluded that "love" becoming the dominant feeling definitely doesn't imply "not in love".

Maybe I just disagree with your definition of "opposite". :-)
I like both vanilla and chocolate, but sometimes you only get to have one scoop. Does that make them opposites?

[abqdan.livejournal.com]

I remember when training as a nurse that I attended a lecture on refined sugar. In effect, the lecturer made the point that sugar IS a drug - and an addictive one at that. That's why large quantities are added to prepared baby foods and why children are encouraged by peer pressure and other means to eat sugar. Once hooked, it's extremely difficult to give it up completely - hence the withdrawl symptoms. I am exactly the same way. I can go weeks without eating any candy, but give me one piece, and I'll eat the entire packet. I have no way to stop until the candy is gone.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm defining love as a state where caring about another person's happiness and well-being is key. That would, to me, be "opposite" a state where caring enormously about one's own happiness and neediness and well-being is the overriding desire. But I think I see what you mean; they could merely be orthogonal.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It is some scary stuff, that's for sure.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me (and thus I keep mentioning ad boredom) is how sweet "real food" starts to taste if I stop eating so blasted much sugared or HFCSed stuff. Carrots, peas, corn, tomatoes right off the vine -- this stuff is very sweet! But most of us don't notice because none of it is anywhere near the bodypounding levels of a Butterfinger bar or our oh-so-refreshing syrup drinks.

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

that link really was heartbreaking :(

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it? This one particularly got me. I've had lovers say some pretty cruel things, though not precisely that, and I wonder why we human beings do that kind of thing to each other.

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

that really is cruel :( and i can't imagine anyone saying it to you

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Well, nobody's said that exactly, to me. That's just beyond cruel, isn't it? My heart breaks for her. I hope that somehow she has found better lovers since then.

[densaer.livejournal.com]

There was a scene in that movie "what the bleep do we know?" a few years back where the female character (played by Marlee Matlin) started writing those types of "i hate me" / "i'm not good enough" messages on her body, and it really disturbed me.

We all have our self-doubt moments, but to see it visualized in those photos so hurts in a very visceral way.