Slow Havamal: 33

In the 33rd verse, We’re told to eat our meals early unless planning to visit a friend. Hunger dulls the wits and makes you sluggish.

This might be the toughest verse I’ve had to parse yet. It reads so straightforward. There seems little in the way of unexpected wisdom. Again, it’s a fine synchronicity. I spent four months starving and cutting weight for a pair of fights. As soon as I hit the last scale, I came out of the chute like a bull trying to shed that skinny-jeaned master who held me to a measly 2000 calories a day and caused me to drop over 20 pounds. The body has a happy homeostasis. It can be disrupted for long periods of time with an act of will, but there will be a rebound of equal intensity. I’m only just beginning to slow my gorging, and not expecting to settle down until some time in the new year. The temperatures are dipping as low as the mid-50’s, and I need that winter layer.( Read more... )