Based on the essay essay, “Single-Handed Cooking”, write about one of your failings (e.g., chronic messiness, inability to follow directions, overeating), revealing what difficulties your problem has led to. If you have developed ways to cope successfully, explain how you did so.
Week 4 Journal
“Single-Handed Cooking” is a first-hand account by JJ Goode about how he coped with his disability (Goode, 128). He gave an account about the way he challenged his disability every time he cooked in the kitchen. In his narrative, it was clear that he willingly took tasks that would be complex on account of his disability, to prove to himself that the disability does not affect his life. This feeling was clear with the fact that he chose to cook with a whole chicken rather than parts which would have been much easier and chose ingredients that were much more difficult to handle because of his disability.
This is a common occurrence for everyone that suffers from some kind of drawback. If a person has a realization about his or her drawback then they willingly focus on it more in their daily life, shaping their existence around that drawback. In my life, I suffer from overeating and somehow having that realization has made it harder for me to deal with that drawback. It somehow has made it more difficult for me to monitor my eating.
My eating problems became a cause of concern for me when I was diagnosed with PCOD. After that, I tried to alter and monitor my eating habits. As time has gone on I have realized that knowing I have an eating problem has made me hypersensitive. I become uncomfortable at the sight of food, especially those that are sweet. If I indulge in those items then I feel guilty and that haunts my mind. This increases my stress level which is accelerated by the PCOD syndrome.
It was the combination of my eating habits and lifestyle problems that led to my being diagnosed with PCOD. Being afflicted with PCOD has led to a lot of issues not only physically but mentally as well. I struggle with depression and irregular periods. Oftentimes it feels as if the mood swings and severe depression will only go if I eat a lot. In my life, I have created a correlation between food and happiness. Therefore when I try to steer clear of it I feel somber. After knowing that overeating is my problem it almost feels like it has a more dominant effect on my everyday existence. The relationship has become more toxic.
A few months ago to combat these depressive episodes, I began to indulge myself in meditation and exercise. I also stopped taking the Birth control pills that were prescribed to me, and this had a massive positive impact. Meditation helped me to calm my nerves and not be so hard on myself about food. I still try to not overeat but if I fail a bit in that endeavor it does not dominate my mindset. Exercise especially in the morning helps me to feel refreshed, and have a positive attitude throughout the day. In these ways, I cope with the problems that I face due to overeating.
Work Cited
Goode, JJ. “Single-Handed Cooking.” The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction, edited by Melissa A. Goldthwaite et al., shorter 15th ed., W. W. Norton, 2020, pp. 128– 30.
