Peanut butter and Jelly

[918gma]

Dedicated to my Son in Gratitude for being patient enough to show me the results of thoughtless words and actions:

Have you ever wanted a peanut butter and Jelly Sandwich? I mean really wanted one, so bad that you couldn’t think of any thing else. You finally get home; you drop every thing in your hands and head for the Kitchen. Pull every thing out that you need and go to town. You can’t get it made fast enough. Ha, you can finally sit and enjoy what you’ve wanted all day long. You notice that you made it kind of sloppy, because you were in such a hurry. No mind, you eat any way. Your fingers get sticky, and get on every thing you touch. You finish the sandwich and set the plate aside. Your tummy is happy, but your hands are a mess. You are getting peanut butter and jelly on every thing. Finally tired of the mess you get up and get a wet towel to wash your hands, and every thing else you’ve touched. How did just a little bit get all over so much. You pick up the plate and take it to the kitchen. Oh dear, you left the lids to both jars, and the loaf of bread open. You set the plate in the sink and start to clean up the mess. Again, you wonder just how it managed to get all over every thing. You then see all the things you dropped at the door in your rush, and finally stop to pick them up as well.
I see myself like that some times. I go through my day like making that same peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I make comments or take action without a single thought as to the end results. I just wanted to be funny, or intelligent, or just noticed. Then at day’s end, I look back as see the peanut butter and jelly smeared over the whole day. Some times it gets on things that it takes considerable effort to clean up. Some things or people get damaged permanently. Of course this wasn’t my intention, but it was the end result. If I had thought before I took action, I could have had my sandwich without creating havoc for any one else or myself.
I hope that actually writing this down, and admitting it, I can learn to be more thoughtful before I make the sandwich instead of just willing to clean up later.

[Dallas]

Hey Kathy,

Wondered what happended to you! I guess you're fingers were too sticky to type for a few days... I hope all is well!!!

Okay... some of what you said... I can identify with... but, not the peanut butter and jelly!!! I'm way too much of a crunchy peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white breat perfectionist... along with being a neat-freak... to share my sandwich makings with anything other than my mouth... or my pups mouths!!!! (They love to eat PBnJ sandwiches with me! Heck... they love to eat anything with me... as long as it's something that I'm eating, too! My kids!).

The stuff that I can identify with... is... roaring through the lives of others with thoughtless words and actions that can hurt their feelings and leave me with a ton of amends to make at the end of the day!!! You'll most often notice me doing stuff like that... when I haven't been doing my daily Step 10, 11 & 12, out of the book. That's why it's so important to me to be doing the deal daily. I guess... because I was a daily drinker... drinking all through the day every day... I'll have to be a daily Stepper... Stepping my way through the day!

Also... a couple of other tools I use to help me keep less of a mess on my side of the street... is reminding myself to stop and pause and pray and meditate periodically throughout the day. I don't mean doing it for a long time... just brief periods spaced out through the day.

Another tool, that has helped me, is to use 3 X 5 cards... and jot down one or two ideas on the cards and carry them with me and read them a few times a day, especially when working on trying to correct some of my grosser problems. When not working on a problem, like "character defects" I would use the cards to jot down positive thoughts or positive suggestions to myself to keep my attitude on the up-swing, which reduces the mood-swings.

But, the best tool of all that I've found, yet... is to use the one that you just used above! "Fess'en up to my buddys about what I'm doing." Then, we can laugh and chuckle about something together, about something that might otherwise "at my lunch" had I kept it to myself!

Nice to see you on the board!!!! I'm not going to tell you "I missed you again"... last time I did that... you stayed away longer!!!

Dallas

[Rusty Zipper]

Granny 9.............. I Missed You!!! ... know the feel'n, what has stil worked for me is a third generation three month Coin... i keep it in my left pocket... and guess what? i keep my left hand in my left pocket alot... makes my nightime a bit easier... love you kid's.... Mr Zipper hahahahaha !

[Dallas]

Hey Rusty Zipper! Sleeping with your pants on, again? Might want to try some WD-40!

Not sure about you, but, I'm left handed! So, I relate to left pocket stuff.

918GMA, Just thought you'd like to know my results of reading your post!

It kicked off my phenomena of craving a crunchy peanut butter and jelly sandwich.... One was not enough... and two was too many!

PB&J affects me like tuna does. It makes me sick after I eat it. Makes me have real bad heart burn, burping it back up, sometimes puking it up... (i hope you're not eating if you're reading this ) makes me get real sleepy, like I'm in a semi-blackout state, I go to bed because I feel dizzy, and then turn, turn, turn.

Any normal person would probably quit eating it. And, when I'm eating it, I get so much joy and pleasure out of it... that memory of my last episodes of PB&J, as miserable as they were... just don't come to mind. (With tuna... I'll usually remember it but go ahead and eat the sandwich anyway).

Naturally, as I chug down a glass of real cold fresh milk to wash the peanut butter off my teeth, and I feel it glide down my throat, I begin to feel like a grown-up! Big and healthy, spiritual, serene, at peace with my self and all the living things around me! I'm free to refill my glass of milk if I choose! And, often, I do! Then, I chase that with a nice real hot cup of coffee, with tons of caffiene, and it makes me feel "restfull and relaxed... like I could really go have a good sleep right now!" kind of feeling.

I've starting to wonder if I have a problem with PB&J. And, with tuna. Yep, they do interferre with some of the more important areas of my life... but at least, I never mix the PB&J with the tuna, in the same sandwich. And, I don't usually wake up craving PB&J... that only happens late at night... or... maybe around 3 am, way before I wake up! So, I don't really consider myself as a morning PB&J eater! Sometimes... once in a while... I will have the tuna sandwich early in the morning... but it isn't often. And, most of the time, it only happens when I'm too lazy to fix something else. Although... there have been times when I'll crave the tuna sandwich on white bread... around 9 am in the morning!

I do think their is a possibility that I've developed an allergy to PB&J. Probably, as a result of the huge quantities that I've consumed, over my years of eating. And... that could be true, with tuna, too!

I guess I could check into it, and see if anyone has started a Tuna Anonymous, or PB&J Anonymous... and perhaps... I'm not so unique! Of course... I haven't determined if the tuna and PB&J problem, centers in my mind... or in my body... or both!

Who knows. Perhaps, if I reach a bottom, and get sick and tired of being sick and tired... and my pitiful and incomprehensible burping begin to affect my other relationships... I'll seek help.

But, just for today.... as a result of my experience last night... I'm really going to try not to pick up a PB&J or tuna sandwich.

Thanks for letting me share!

Dallas

PS: Maybe I could try switching to Peanut Butter Smooth? Gee. I wonder if I have a carbohydrate addiction... and PB&J sandwiches are my food of choice? Hopefully, more will be revealed!

[918gma]

LOL, both of you are nuts, but I love it. At least I know the general philosophies got through.
As far as your allergy to those two types of sandwiches which I will not mention again, you should probably seek help.
Rusty Zip, the coin trick was cool. I might try that with my twenty four hour one.
The 3x5's were good too. It's funny but my e-mail system at work is outlook and they have this thing called note pad. I have just recently started using it for the very same thing you are talking about. I have about six collected. One of course is the serenity prayer.
The problem is as I was sharing with another friend recently, My character defects are sooooo deeply ingrained, and comfortable that it has been a real challenge to turn things around.
Another thing I seem to forget is that these things didn't happen over night and neither will the solution. I guess that's why I have to keep coming back.