Daily Archive

The only person I’ve ever known to fast on a regular basis was one of my freshman year suitemates. I don’t think her serene imperturbability is unrelated to this practice. Fasting for her is a ritual, and it seemed like second nature to her – not a hardship or anything she ever tried to fit into a life unsuited to its rigors.

I admire her for this daily devotion, and for so much more. As I’ve begun over the past few months to extend my nightly sleeptime fast further into each day, I’ve thought of her often. The friendship that we had in college exists mainly in memories, though she keeps all of her wide circle up-to-date – the way we all intend to, but then end up being too busy or boring to actually do.

She is the person who does the things I want to get around to. We all have at least one of these people in life, and I’m so glad to know her and be able to encourage myself to emulate another human being rather than just an ideal. I don’t want her life, or to be her, but I think the opportunity for a such a riff is not to be passed up.

The test of this pursuit of mental clarity and self-derived energy has come over the past few weeks, with events and visitors and occasions for the good kind of projecting coming on rapid-fire.

I’ve been able to incorporate this approach to fueling myself as a matter of sustenance instead of prescribed mealtimes even in some unlikely scenarios. It doesn’t all go out the window with one stray meal, or drive me crazy with cravings. The amount of sense it makes to me to eat this way has been a long time coming, and I hope I never see it go.

Fasting so far has been a way to get to know myself better, which is never a bad idea. I’m happy I happened upon it again at a time in my life when I can make it a part of who I am.