Okay, so this is why I shouldn't eat in my car

On Friday, I will be presenting my sponsee with her three year abstinence token during the OA meeting that night, an absolute honor for me. However, that meant having to go down and getting her token during lunch yesterday, which is my only window of time all week long. I thought to myself, okay, you still need to eat lunch at some point. I had been skipping it some of the days because I was so busy at work and lost track of time. Not intentional, but it did happen. I was trying so hard not to do that. So, brilliant girl that I am (ha ha on that one when you read my story), I decided that eating behind the wheel would be a great and fantastic idea. That way, I rationalized, I can kill two birds with one stone.

So, I pull out my lunch and proceed to eat it while driving back to work from my errand. It was quite a distance, going through city streets and the highway. I was doing great, but then a dollop dripped down onto my body. Dang it! I realized that if it got onto my top, I'd have to go home and change because I had two classroom presentations to give with parents and students that evening. Not a good representative of our high school with a stain on my chest. Thankfully it landed on the seat belt that I was strapped into. I start hunting for a napkin, meanwhile I'm sort of weaving on the road. By this time, I had gotten off the freeway and was back on surface streets, but there were a lot of twists and turns. As I'm still trying to wipe it away, I almost hit a signpost, which freaks me out. Finally, when I get back to work at school, I pulled myself together and got out of the car.

It got me to thinking about a couple of things. First, eating in my car was a gigantor mistake! It reminded me of times when I would go through a drive through at night and eat in my car on my way to or from something so no one could see me. I remember one time driving home from work with the specific intention of going to this particular fast-food joint that I loved. When I got off the freeway and was waiting at the light to turn right, a child comes out of nowhere and runs right into my car with his bike. I got out and take care of the situation (he was alright, just a little shaken up). What was on my mind the whole time? That food. When everything was settled with him, I went straight to that food place and fulfilled my intent. I called the insurance company after I had eaten everything. Sad, very sad.

The other thing I thought about is that old misconception that many people in other 12-step programs have that people in OA don't have it so bad. I mean, after all, at least you can't kill someone behind the wheel from a Big Mac like you could if you're drinking. Oh no? Look at how preoccupied I was with wiping food off myself and I almost hit something. I have had situations where it was more important for me to eat behind the wheel, in my secret hiding place, than worry about other people around me. I came close of hitting bikers on the side on several occassions. Besides, even if we in OA never kill someone else, we are killing ourselves and our families with the pain of compulsive overeating.

So, my lesson ... don't ever eat behind the wheel again. It's seriously not worth it!