Part Shark

Aren't I pretty? PC:The Independent

     Here in Hawai'i we have something known as aumakua, or family guardians. These guardians are mostly animals, but can sometimes also be deities like Pele. The aumakua of my family is supposedly the mano or shark, granting us safe passage over waters. Since I have a mild fear of deep water (deep being when my feet no longer touch the sand), I can't say for sure whether these myths are true. My grandfather, who was a pastor, definitely did not subscribe to the "old ways" and firmly stated our only aumakua is Jesus Christ, which made the whole debate moot for him.

       You don't have to have an aumakua to have experienced going into what I like to call "shark mode." When certain sharks, like the Great White feed, their eyes roll back into their heads to protect their eyes from their pray. Though I don't know what's going on in the shark's mind as it feeds, I doubt it's counting calories or thinking about that particular meal's nutritional value; which is exactly what happens when I go into shark mode. I attack whatever food is in front of me without thought or hesitation. And when the whole thing is over I have an overstuffed belly and a vague idea of how it got their. It's a lot like binging, but with less premeditation. But don't worry, the same guilt is there after.

        Another problem is I binge on more calorie-dense (read: unhealthy) food instead of lighter options. If I were to binge on carrot sticks or spinach leaves, I wouldn't have as big of an issue. Still another question arises: is binging ever okay?

      There's some societal expectation for binging on occassion: take our birthdays or Thanksgiving, for example--shark mode is not only warranted, it's practically encouraged. According to Livestrong.com, these days do happen. And better yet, you can't get fat from one day of feeding frenzy! I still wonder how binge eating affects our relationship to food as a whole, but that's another topic for another day.

     What does my aumakua Jesus Christ say about food? "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink...Is not life more than food...?" Matt. 6:25-26 (added emphasis).

    Apparently, I have a lot to learn.

Until Next Time,
The Daughter   

My family aumakua