November 24, 2004

WWJD

It's that time of year. When I start feeling awkward. To say that I am not a religous person is to grossly understate my condition. However, that has little to do with why "the" holiday season makes me squirm.

Yesterday, at my weekly weigh-in, I inflicted 7 lbs more damage on the unsuspecting springs of my bathroom scale than in the previous week's session. I think that my diet of the few days, which has been dominated by fried bluegill, chicken wings, pies, peanut butter and cookies, might have made it so that water is reluctant to leave my body. Seven lbs...in the week before Thanksgiving. Who the hell am I to eat this much?

Strangely, every time my pants get more difficult to button, I start thinking about John Locke's theory on property. What I remember from my political theory class you can probably fit in a Dixie Cup, but I was taken with Locke's point about the a person's rights to property:

    As much as any one can make use of to any advantage of life before it spoils, so much he may by his labour fix a property in. Whatever is beyond this is more than his share, and belongs to others. Nothing was made by God for man to spoil or destroy. And thus considering the plenty of natural provisions there was a long time in the world, and the few spenders, and to how small a part of that provision the industry of one man could extend itself and engross it to the prejudice of others, especially keeping within the bounds set by reason of what might serve for his use, there could be then little room for quarrels or contentions about property so established.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. This holiday bothers more than any other righ now. I am grateful many things in my life, but it strikes me as peculiar that we celebrate by engaging in gluttony. "If you don't eat it. I'm just going to throw it away." Waste. Waist.

What Would John (Locke) Do?

See here for information on Locke's theories.

Posted by scott at November 24, 2004 04:38 PM