Last semester, I wrote a column about people's gross habits, begging them to tone it down some. Well I have a confession to make: I have a gross habit of my own.
Hello, my name is Katie, and I am totally addicted to chewing gum.
I'm serious. I have to have it around. I chomp on it in the morning to keep me awake during class, I chew it after meals to refresh my mouth and I chew compulsively whenever I am stressed - basically any time I have a lot of homework, which is pretty much all the time these days.
During the last few months I've started to realize this habit is bad for several reasons. First, it is expensive. You may think gum is cheap. How much could it really hurt your wallet? Well, if you go through those big car packs at the rate I do, it adds up. I figured out that, in three months, I had spent roughly $24 on something that I really don't need.
Second, even though I only buy sugar-free gum, all that constant chewing is probably not good for my teeth. I started to notice that, after a stressful and exhausting night in the library, my jaw often would be sore.
Lastly, gum chewing is just an annoying habit. No wants to be like Violet in Willy Wonka's factory. You are so intent on the new stick of gum you don't notice you've turned into a giant blue ball and you're rolling away.
But how would I quit? Gum is ingrained into my lifestyle, and the drug store doesn't sell a patch to help you regain personal agency for this particular habit. Lucky for me, I experienced this realization about gum right at the beginning of March, just in time for Lent.
Even though I consider myself a "Cafeteria Christian" - what is on and off my tray varies from year to year - for some reason Lent is one of the traditions I never have let go. Although I'd like to say that there is some deeper, pious meaning for this, truthfully I probably have hung on to Lent because it is a good way to force myself to do something I probably should be doing anyway, like cutting back on gum. There is nothing like a little guilt and added fear of divine retribution to make you stick to a commitment.
This year, I pledged to stop chewing gum for Lent. I even promised not to cheat on Sundays like I have in years past. It hasn't been easy, but as of today, I am 14 days gum-free.
I'm surprised that it's been this hard. I thought after a few days of not having gum around I would just forget about it. But that hasn't been the case. I actually feel like one of those people on the quit smoking commercials, who talks about all the times when he likes having a cigarette and misses it. It sounds crazy but I'm the same way with my gum. Even right now as I write this column I find myself wishing I had a piece to help me stay awake and think of wittier things to say.
So what's my point here? Give me a minute; I'm struggling without any kind of chewing stimulus. Do I want everyone else to give up chewing gum, too? No. Am I trying to make a pitch for Lent? Not really.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, as much as I like to point out other people's annoying habits, we all have our little addictions. Some are more obvious or more obviously detrimental than others. At the same time, we all also have the power to get rid of these things. You don't have to observe Lent to do it. You can just promise a friend, or make a deal with yourself.
My deal is 40 days, no gum, period. What could yours be?
Katie's column runs weekly Tuesdays. She can be reached at k.mcnally@cavalierdaily.com.
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