Friday, May 30, 2008

Silver lining



Every cloud has a silver lining, so the saying goes. I never took this seriously until a recent incident made me sit up.
My family was away and I had to spend a few days on my own. On the day they returned I made the mistake of having my dinner at a local restaurant near my office and the next morning I had trouble. I do not know if it was the food or the water I possibly drank there, I was hit by Madras belly in Trivandrum. On the first day, fortunately my day off work, I had to be away buying timber for the whole day. On returning in the afternoon, my daughter insisted that I take her to the park and I did. But I was getting up through out the night to relieve my bowls. It got worse by morning. I was going to the bathroom by the hour till afternoon.
I like my morning tea with the right amount of sugar and milk added (Only my mom and wife can judge the right amount, and, occasionally, my aunt). But on this particular day, I was given a lime tea to stabilise my system and I had just bread in the morning and a little rice in the afternoon.
My wife insisted that I call up my office and ask for leave. But given that it was holiday season in the office I had to get there on the dot. I managed to suffer the five-and-a-half hours at work but had to visit the loo in the end. I had had two tablets to control bowel movement during the day.
That night was rather peaceful. In the morning when I got my morning cuppa, I found it distasteful. And I asked for the lime tea instead. I discovered that I can easily go without my energy boosting shot of sugary, milky tea now. And this was something I have been trying to give up for so many years, for health benefits.
I should now develop such will power to do other important things in life.