Dad needs to lose weight. I need to get better blood sugar control. Our conversation last night went something like this:
Me: You wanna try to give up sweets?
Dad: You’re the only person I’d do it for.
Me: Could we try it for a month? Or two weeks?
Me: I don’t know either…
And that was it! I called him back later last night and and forcibly set up the challenge: No sweets for two full weeks. Then we’ll re-evaluate.
It’s weird, but all I need is a little challenge to conquer a goal. Someone just needs to utter the words, I bet you CAN’T do [fill-in-the-blank] and I’m off. These Lawton/Jones genes contain mega-competitiveness, as well as stubbornness and compassion. When I was 13 or so I didn’t say one word on a drive from Kansas City back home to Lincoln because my folks bet us kids a dollar we couldn’t do it — that dollar was mine, woohoo! The nail-biting challenge of 1996 was quite successful as well. I’m hoping this sweets thing works, too… Hopefully, Dad will drop a few pounds and I will even out my blood sugars a bit more. Farewell, Ivanna Cone ice cream… Hello, bananas and apples!
6 Comments
bethany Mar 18, 2004 12:34 PM
Wow, I hope your parents milked that for all it was worth (“I bet you CAN’T clean up your room in under half an hour”).
lindsay Mar 18, 2004 9:41 PM
i’ve never won a quiet game, even for money.
andrew Mar 19, 2004 12:37 AM
lindsay, playing becca in the quiet game is impossible. i’ve got a mouth, she’s got resolve. childhood was tough.
rebecca Mar 19, 2004 11:20 AM
the ‘pass the pears’ game, day 1, wasn’t easy! fruit rollups count as a side dish, right?
Jeannette Mar 19, 2004 12:17 PM
I think streaks of stubborness/determination/competitiveness are imbued to anyone born between the Mississippi R and the Rocky mountains and north of the Ozarks…
:-)
rebecca Mar 19, 2004 4:39 PM
that must be it, jeannette! i can claim sturdy midwestern genes via my mom (though i was actually born in florida).