Day 7

This morning I tried to start the day without the coffee. I know it's the wrong thing to intake during a fast. However, I'm trying to be not so tough on myself. I went an hour dragging around and then decided to go for it. That was good because it got me in gear.

Interesting new shift in my work process: instead of reading emails first off I decided to visit SaveDarfur.org and click on News Center for the latest news. That's the place to find out day by day all the things that are happening on the political front for Darfur. I was very glad about this shift. I really do want to know day-by-day what's going on -- in fact, I want to boot up my workday by learning what has just been happening. All this time that I've known about the Darfur situation I never once went to Save Darfur's News Center. I just waited till NPR or BBC had news on it. So this is a direct result of this fasting. How very cool. I will continue starting my day like this I'm sure.

Today I felt I wanted to eliminate the iced tea with lemonade I'd been having. I replaced it with water. Also, I spent some time at healthy.net reading wisdom about fasting by Dr.
Elson Haas. He has a very lengthy piece on that site discussing both the physical and emotional and spiritual aspects of fasting. His recipe for what he calls the Spring Master Cleanser really appealed to me: cup of spring water, fresh squeezed lemon juice, tablespoon maple syrup and here's the zinger, cayenne pepper. I tried it and it's fabulous!

Then I went to the NYT site since today is Wednesday I had to see what was going on in the food section, now called Dining. Whatever. And the piece that caught my eye was the one on a small but famous ice cream made in Texas and distributed only in the South called Blue Bell Ice Cream, which the writer proclaims THE best in the country. Yes, I was interested in this even though I'm fasting and even though I'm passionate about the death and suffering in Darfur.

So, the two other factions had till tonight to sign the recent peace pact and apparently they won't sign it unless certain other demands are met. Meanwhile the UN is saying it will be a minimum of 4 months before they can get troops organized to dispatch to Darfur. The sick are getting sicker and the women are being gang-raped and the hungry are dying.

Day 6

I wonder who died today in Darfur because of our neglect.
I decided to go on a 40-day fast in sympathy with Dick Gregory who announced at the DC rally for Darfur that he would go on a 40-day fast to "bring his mind closer to what's going on in Darfur." I feel the same way. I want to bring my mind closer to what's going on there.

I wonder if women were raped today on their way to searching for kindling. How can there be any kindling left in that country I wonder?

Stopping eating is just an outward manifestation of inner feelings.

I didn't try to motivate myself to go on a fast. I realized three days ago that subconsciously my body had just shut down. There were no hunger signals and I had no interest in food. That's when I realized I'm into a fasting period.

On Day 5 a friend visited me at the house and I tried to tell her I was on a fast. She didn't ask me why. We continued our talk and I thought is this really a friend? the conversation became less and less amicable. I realized the lack of food is starting to take its toll. I will endeavor to speak less and listen more during this period.

I felt the need to explain to friends and a few select business associates what I am doing and why. It didn't seem right to be doing this and not letting people know. So I sent out an email today to about 30 people. I don't want to come off like a martyr.

Should I send a letter to the editor of my local paper? That seems so much like grandstanding. On the other hand people need to hear that someone in their community is fasting for this cause.

Starting this blog seemed like a good resolution of the matter.

Today I emailed my primary care physician and explained what I was doing and asked for his counsel and suggestions. It seemed like the cautious thing to do. I also researched fasting on Google and ordered a few books by Gregory from Amazon to help me.

I've been allowing myself a cup of coffee in the morning (mostly milk), limitless amounts of iced tea with lemonade in it, and was allowing myself a morsel once every two days of food, but now I don't even want any food, and I realize the coffee is wrong and so is the tea. I need to shift to juices.

I've had feelings of mental clarity all day that are allowing me to get lots of work done. I don't feel tired and I don't feel deprived. Driving is a challenge though because I've noticed my attention veering in and out. The changes are starting to happen.