Learning to Chew (3)

 The dietary instructor calls every night. I ask many questions.  I wonder why I am so tired. He says my blood is weak.  How would I make my blood stronger? I ask.  He says you don’t have enough red blood cells.  What should I do to improve this? I ask.  The first time I ask, he replies reduce the size of your meals and get more exercise.  Today his answer is different.  I should completely digest my carbohydrates, he says.

Chewing Practice

“Chew Chew” is the name of the dining hall.  All of the other buildings are named for biblical characters.  So, this strange name is puzzling to me.  The poster on the wall of the dining room explain the name. A small colorful poster that says to chew brown rice 100 times and to chew rice gruel 30 times. 

Allow me to stray from the subject.  I have tried before to learn to chew more.  A friend of mine, was diabetic.  She was placed in the hospital there she was taught to chew.  She was very unhappy with her small meals, but she learned to chew.  After hearing her story, I tried to mimic her.  But I just could not do it.  Be cause of my previous failed efforts to chew, I quickly decided that chewing practice was part of fasting. 

When I saw this sign. I felt that the chance to learn to chew have been given to me.  I was eating with talkative women.  No one was chewing hundred times. Since that time I have to learn to talk and chew. But at that time, I had to focus on chewing only.  I was amazed when someone talk to me, they were so polite that they waited for me to finish chewing.  Then I could reply to them. Because I was spending time chewing, I had more time to think about what they were saying.  I felt grateful to be surrounded with such kind people.