[Mara]

Nancy -

I hear you all the way, and I think, in most situations, people have become slaves to certain mentalities and ways of eating which cause them unhappiness, yet they don't realize what they are doing wrong, not knowing the laws of balance, and so continue doing them, eventually creating sickness.

Yet, have not some of the great traditions of the world, such as the tango, been created from situations where great despair brought forth intense passion?

At times, I long to tango all night, fueled only by a few bites of rare meat, a few swallows of good wine, and a couple long drags on a cigarette.

Other times I am overwhelmed by memories of my childhood, and want nothing more than to go roller skating and stand in line afterward to buy candy, that sweet, extraordinary thing that comes in so many shapes and colors.

I realize, this is my freedom. This is also the tradition of the Western world- greatness achieved through suffering, artistic passions born from the European diet, walking all night through the city and enjoying the smell of fast food, bacon frying in the morning, a new day ahead.

This was the dream, before we became addicted, tired, our minds and senses dulled.

I appreciate all things much more now that my senses have been heightened by a macrobiotic diet. For me, macrobiotic eating has given me the health I was missing for a long time, and illness let me dream big, and now, I am enjoying the freedom to make these dreams come true.

My biggest dream of all, while I had CFS, was to be able to do the simplest things, those things that everyone else did, and to take part in society, for better or worse. And now that I can, every moment of my life has become nothing less than a dream come true.