Gut Wrenching Insights, Seriously
Posted in Humor, blowing chunks, cookie tossing, emotional aftertaste, food, gross, gut level, head, heart, heartless, hurl, irrational, puke, rational, retch, seriously, throw up, upchuck, virus, vomit on November 21st, 2008 by Steve Bradley – 7 Comments
As some of you might have gathered from this post, it’s been quite an adventure at my house for the past week.
I’ll spare you all the details, but suffice it to say that each member of the Bradley family has now taken part in sharing what appears to be a 24 hour stomach virus. My own experience, unpleasant though it was, taught me something, however — seriously.
This past Tuesday night, my lovely bride made for me a special meat filled, manly man, hearty, warm you down to the bones on a chilly night, stew. Which is something I normally love, mind you.
But not this night. This night I was in fact repulsed by the stew — on a deep, emotional, and gutteral level. Odd how something can one day seem appealing and life affirming, and the next day seem disgusting and poisonous…
I’m proud to report now that the ill effects of the virus have subsided, and the appeal of the stew for me has been restored.
This was not my bride’s experience a number of years ago, however. When she was pregnant with our firstborn, her first bout of morning sickness was regrettably brought on by a bowl of otherwise excellent turkey soup. On the day after Thanksgiving, 1994.
To this day turkey soup has lost its appeal for her. Her experience back in 1994 forever changed her — leaving her with an emotional aftertaste that still lingers.
Which got me thinking… Though we often like to think of ourselves as logical beings — especially with regard to our beliefs and theology — I wonder how many of us are living with emotional aftertastes, perhaps that we’re even not aware of, which color our perspective and shape our worldview?
Perhaps this is why words like church, God, Jesus, and Bible for some are positive, appealing words — while for others they seem to conjure up negative images and gut level reactions of disgust?
Maybe this is why we have trouble understanding each other at times? Could it be that the “irrational” responses we see in others would make much more sense if we knew more about a person’s life experiences? Could it be that our own “rational” behaviors are in fact shaped by gut level emotional aftertastes, springing from our own past experiences?
I’d love to hear other’s thoughts on this.
Do you have any emotional aftertastes that you’re aware of?
How do you handle the tension between head and heart/gut? Which is a bigger insult for you — to be called “irrational” or “heartless?”
