Defining the Word 'Unhealthy'

As a boy, my mom had always reminded me that to be a successful person, I must develop a healthy lifestyle. I must maintain healthy habits. These, she explained, were formed by doing things that maybe we didn't necessarily want to do all the time, but should force ourselves to do anyway. Eventually after time, they would become ingrained, and the repetition of them would just happen without effort.

I had developed a lot of habits. I woke up every morning at 6:30...jogged two and a half miles or the distance around my apartment complex approximately three times. I then showered, making sure to get all the soap out of my hair and use conditioner weekly. I was on time to work.

I chose water over soda, and fruit over cookies.

I did laundry every weekend, and studied before playing.

I brushed my teeth.

So, when one weekend I'd come home from college, you can imagine my surprise as she sat me down worriedly; accusing me of developing an unhealthy lifestyle. She'd spoken with my sister who had apparently told her every detail of my personal life away at school.

Yes, I dated boys.

It wasn't an unhealthy lifestyle, though, I'd protested. It wasn't ingrained from forced repetition, but was ingrained because it felt natural and obvious. It wasn't even a habit, really, because it was effortless to be honest with myself.

These boys I dated felt just the same way.

You can imagine my horror when she reasserted herself and reminded me I must be a successful person. I must maintain healthy habits, which were things I didn't want to do, but should force myself to do anyway. I should repeat them until they became ingrained, until they became a lifestyle.