| I hate moderation. I hate doing things moderately. I hate | | | | choices, "I don't think so."Part of the wonder of new |
| having to be controlled, mature, and disciplined. I don't | | | | romances is doing things "over the top;" being |
| want to moderate how much I eat or drink. I don't | | | | infatuated and going with it through cards and flowers |
| want to be moderate with sex, or playing, or vacations. | | | | and three hour phone calls and getting into work late |
| I don't want to moderate what I say for fear it will | | | | and tired. Real passion for something makes other |
| offend. I don't want to do what's "good for me."I DO | | | | things seem like white noise and static. Passion almost |
| want to have a second piece of pie because it tastes | | | | demands that other stuff be put aside so you can be |
| good. Sometimes, I do want to have hot sweaty sex | | | | excessive. For a year, I wrote most of my first book |
| at night and again in the morning because it tastes | | | | Stepping Stones, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and |
| good. I want to run to the roller coaster at Disneyland | | | | 2:00 a.m. and on weekends feeling possessed with a |
| with the rest of the nine-year-old boys. But I can't.The | | | | sense of needful urgency to write. I'm ashamed to |
| pie is bad for my weight and cholesterol. The morning | | | | admit that it was great even though I didn't spend as |
| sex will disturb my exhausted, sleeping wife and | | | | much time with my family.As I look back, I think the |
| negatively affect my marital relational love. The other | | | | times I've been happiest in my life, I have been |
| parents at Disneyland will think I'm weird.We all know | | | | obsessed and passionate about something: school, a |
| what moderation, control, and discipline really means. It | | | | woman, building my career, exercise; the occasionally |
| means, "I don't get to have what I want. I get to watch | | | | sublime nexus moment I talk about in Steppingstones. |
| other people have what I want; and seem to get | | | | At these times, I am almost never moderate. I don't |
| away with it. I get to convince myself that raw | | | | always feel out of control; but I am definitely excessive |
| vegetables taste as good as a Krispy Kreme. I don't | | | | with my priority, big time; making everything else |
| just delay my gratification, I simply don't 'get no | | | | number two; figuratively of course.Are passion and |
| satisfaction.'"I know I need to be somewhat moderate, | | | | purpose something you have to balance? Or does |
| disciplined, and controlled to live life effectively and for | | | | being passionate help you with your purpose and vice |
| a long time--both of which I want. But what about the | | | | versa? If you try to balance hedonistic passion and |
| juice of life--passion? I love being passionate. Does | | | | mature, effective living, are you cheating yourself out |
| passion have room for discipline and moderation or | | | | of both? Can you hurl yourself into the moment and |
| does it eat them? Does sensual, hedonistic, glorious | | | | be moderate?I need to go now. My spinach salad and |
| pleasure have to wear the belt of moderation? To | | | | diet 7-UP are getting warm. |
| quote McCauley Culkin, the font of wisdom and good | | | | |