I find myself working on Gluttony for the Psychomachia series today. Gluttony is represented in a Biblical sense by the bite of the apple. Thematically, gluttony is being represented by the sideshow freak “World’s Fattest Woman.”
My subject is the world’s fattest woman only metaphorically, of course. And then I began to wonder how many women live as the world’s fattest woman everyday–wallowing in guilt over their own perceived Gluttony, often false or imagined. I wonder.
Well I believe it starts at birth when the suckeling instinct hits. That nurturing moment gives a sense of security & reduces the fear factor of pain of starvation. Once we recognize how good that feels, it becomes a program some of us run to compensate for other threats. Whenever I even think about dieting I go straight into depression, which has the effect of my wanting to eat comfort foods. The snake with it’s tail in it’s mouth. For me it feels less like greed & more self comfort, masturbation for my mouth, my tummy. Food is my heroin, novacain to my brain, sleep invocation. uhummmmmmmm
I chased the demon of Gluttony for many years…and still do…just not with food…for the moment. Damn, I could use some chocolate right about now. 🙂