Throughout history, the most popular stories are the ones where the audience already knows the ending. Or, more accurately, the stories that end up ending up the way the audience (deep down) hopes they will end. This is why books and movies where the hero triumphs in the end are more common (by a margin of about ninety-nine to one) than the stories where the hero gets hit by a bus in the first thirty minutes. (If you’d like to know more about this concept, click the photo when you’re done reading this post.)
And while we’d like to think we know the ending, the truth is we actually LOVE not knowing. The twists and turns along the way keep us interested, because there’s always the chance that the book you’re reading or the movie you’re watching falls into that one percent where Harry Potter does get flattened by a bus a half hour in.
This literary device has been recently applied to my own Return to Onederland story. Charlie, the hero, has successfully passed through many trials and tribulations; he has triumphed over his enemies and has finally reached the point where he discovers he’s been dead the entire movie! No, no, sorry about that. No, we’re at the point where he’s slain the dragon and the audience breaths a huge sigh of relief—a collective sigh indicating their pleasure that the story did indeed turn out the way they’d hoped it would—but then wham! The dragon was just the baby dragon! He still has the momma dragon to deal with. Oh noes!!!111
The momma dragon is my new barrier. It’s the “fear” I talked about last week. The fear that, although I’m officially in Onederland I’m nowhere near out of the woods. I need to get past the point where a single, overnight, three-pound gain doesn’t push me back to the dark side.
| Day 238 | |
| Starting Weight | 224.0 |
| Current Weight | 199.0 |
| Change from Last Week | +0.0 |
| Lost So Far | 25.0 |
| Pounds To Go | 10.0 |
I was hoping that would be this week. I must keep on hoping, apparently. And that’s not a bad thing. After all, it’s the twists and turns what keeps us interested. If my graph looked like a ski slope and spanned a single month, … well, where’s the fun in that? Bring on the dragons! Let’s have a little fun. Just so long as I don’t get hit by a bus in the next thirty minutes. Or, worse, a box of donuts.
on March 23, 2009 at 6:58 am
Are those storm clouds at the top of your graph?
You are still below 200, so I think that’s great!
Just don’t be tempted by the donuts!!
on March 23, 2009 at 7:52 am
I’m with ya, sugar (in spirit if not in poundage)!
In my case, it’s the Girl Scout cookies that are trying to plow me under…but I’m putting them in the freezer downstairs where I can (maybe) forget about them.
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
on March 23, 2009 at 8:22 am
I am up .5 this week, but consider it a victory during my birthday week!
Hang in there Charlie – happy Monday!
on March 23, 2009 at 9:12 am
You are doing great, Charlie! I love your graphs!
on March 23, 2009 at 9:55 am
There are always dragons to slay and donuts to be eaten. You just need to eat yous right after the lizard breath goes up in smoke.
Hang in there Charlie, you’re doing fine.
on March 23, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Arghhh! Too right its too close for comfort! And it might stay like this for weeks! But seeing as i’m experiencing the same frustration at the moment, in a slightly sadistic but friendly way, I’m glad you are too!! 😉
In empathy…
Tusc 🙂
on March 23, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I just got hit by company birthday cake. It was so good.
on March 24, 2009 at 3:29 pm
eee, see we all know you’re going to get there (and soon) but you’re just teasing us to build up the happy ending.
Keeping my fingers crossed it will be this week.
on March 28, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I know you can do it, Charlie. You’ll get down to onederland even at night! I just did that with the 80’s, so I’m over the moon. I had got down to 188.8 last summer, then in January was up in the 2’s again and it ticked me off. My refocus started Feb 9th for me. I am NOT going back.
Love your blog. 🙂