This week is Youth Conference.
Woo! Hoo!
I'm having issues. You'd think after 2 years I would have resolved these issues, but I haven't.
This is a post from when I was a columnist at Mormon Momma. It was a different youth conference, but the issues are umm, remarkably similar. And a bit more troubling since this is a Stake Youth Conference ( more kids from different congregations), and I'm a Team Leader for a group of kids I mostly don't know. I'd love to know what you think!
On The Road
Next week the youth of our ward are leaving for Youth Conference! (Look out Nauvoo!) And I’ve got a question. How much Diet Coke is acceptable for me (the Young Women's president) to drink on the trip? I drink Diet Coke. Lots of it.
For weeks now, I have intended to start cutting back, so that on the youth conference—five full days on a large bus, sleeping in hotels—I would not look like a crack addict searching for a fix every time we hit a truck stop. Now that we are two days away, I’m thinking its kind of late to begin that process.
Most of my young women know that I drink the stuff. It’s not something I really hide. Certainly my own daughters know. It’s just that I don’t want to admit to anyone—including myself, really—how much I drink. And just so you’ve got the full picture, it’s around 60-70 ounces a day. Heck that’s not even two Big Gulps, once you count the ice, right? My problem is that as a Young Women's president, I think I am supposed to show a better example.
So I have been racking my brain trying to figure out whether to try to hide it (I have been considering taking a couple of 12 packs in my suitcase. Do you think anyone would notice if I wear the same clothes every day?) or just come right out, grab that microphone in the front of the bus and announce, “Welcome to the trip. I’m Sister H and I have a drinking problem.” I’m not really in love with either option.
At this point, it would be appropriate to use a paragraph or two about how addictions of any sort are bad, and it hurts us physically and spiritually, and convince you that I really understand that this is a problem. Really, I could do it, but can we just agree that I already know it’s a problem? If we can skip the comments and emails telling me it’s a problem, I could really use some advice.
Do you think that it’s more important for the Young Women to see a better example, or for them to know that we all have things we are working on doing better? Or am I making this a bigger deal than it is? After all, I read my scriptures, don’t swear in front of children, have a modest bathing suit, and even shave my legs. What’s a little (or a lot of) Diet Coke?
28 comments:
I say proudly drink your legal addictive substance and stop worrying about it. Just don't be a hypocrite by preach against the evils of caffeine (or addiction) and do it behind their backs. You dont have to say "I am sister H and I"... well needless to say there is no reason to draw attention. On the other hand don't be like a little kid hiding it the corner pooping his pants. Brilliant advice, no?
You are so funny. I don't think you even need to bring it up or say anything at all. If one of the girls or boys says anything, just let them know that Diet Coke is your weakness. Make it seems like a difficult battle so they can awe in your wake, divining how tough you must be to keep fighting day after day. :P
I love ya, randi.
Hmmm...do you really want to kick the habit or do you just want to make it 5 days without drinking the stuff only to go right back to it? I say cold turkey is the only way to do it...it was the only way I could kick my Diet Coke habit - now I have it every once in a while and I don't seem to need it every day - though I thoroughly enjoy it every time I drink it. If you're wanting to lay off it for a few days - don't hide it, just be honest and drink it to your hearts content.
Wow that was a novel...sorry.
The best bishop our boys had drank Coke non-stop at Youth Conferences. He loved the youth, was kind and honest, and showed compassion to those who struggled. Just love your youth and drink away!
Me and my bro used to tease my mom. She HAD to have her Diet Pepsi. We're talking headaches if she didn't get it HAD to have her Diet Pepsi.
I don't drink soda. I'm a milk/juice/water kind of girl. (I don't like carbination) The past couple weeks I've found myself buying drinks that I knew had caffiene just to get the fix while sitting at my desk.
Which one is worse?
I don't think your Diet Coke is a bad thing. I could be worse, you could be addicted to a much more harmful substance than caffiene....
This is a huge deal in my husband's family. We drink the fizzy brown beveridge...yum. They do not. Once while at a family party one of the smallerish kids came up to me and started spouting off about how caffiene is against the WoW etc. I just told her, when she could find that verse in the scriptures we'd talk. But I know that can't help you on a bus full of kids....
Don't worry about it, I know by now you will have found some solution to the issue. :)
Whatever I said on the original post is probably going this time around too. HAVE FUN!
I say chug a lug!
Here's a different option. Buy yourself a few boxes of Crystal Light Energy. 120 mg of caffeine per packet, dump it in a bottle of water and they'll think you're just drinking healthy colored water.
Just don't share it with the girls, you won't get any sleep because they'll be awake all night.
For what it's worth...
1) An "adventure" with teenagers is probably not the time to break a habit.
2) My sister is having a biopsy on her kidney done. Her doc says the caramel coloring in Diet Pepsi is probably the culprit of her current problem. Studies aren't conclusive, but they are pointing to something harmful about that particular additive. She drinks a lot of the stuff. I don't know if Diet Coke has the same thing, but maybe in the future you might want to quit.
Brown paper bag it. You know, I bet the majority of those teens have parents with the same 'issues'. Don't sweat it.
And there's always the Church's addiction recovery program.....
the church has an addiction recovery program?
does it help with blogs or facebook?
I agree you should be honest with the youth about your habit. :)
I would not flaunt it....nor say "I have to have my diet coke" out loud. Good luck this week!
I would hide it in a sports bottle. Keep your energy up!!!
One of the leaders at our stake YW camp has the same issue. She's decided to have her own travel mug and fill it with whatever. She also brought her own cooler. Her thought was that if they asked, she wouldn't lie, but no one asked what was in her mug.
Most of my youth struggle with those highly caffeinated energy drinks. I know they drink them and they know I drink Dr. Pepper. If they want to have a conversation we do, but we don't neccesarily check to see what we're drinking.
I say you deserve every ounce of caffeine on this trip! Best of luck - I hope you all survive!
Diet PEPSI. You meant to say Diet PEPSI, right?
That is the true and living diet soda. I know this with every fiber of my being.
I worried about the same thing; but substitute ward "girls nights' for Youth Conference, and RS pres. for YW pres. I finally figured "it's who I am" weak, but at least I get my diet Coke that way!
I had the same issues when I went on the Pioneer Trek with my husband and 12 wonderful teenagers. I knew that getting my hands on any kind of drink other than water wouldn't even be possible, so I stashed a bottle of excedrin in my apron pocket as a substitute for when I had one of those caffiene deprivation headaches. I was amazed at how quickly word spread around the camp that I had excedrin. Almost half of the other Ma's came to me for a dose during our three days in the desert. It made me feel better and I got a 44 oz. diet coke at circle K on the way home and drank it in front of a car full of kids guilt free!!!!
Happy Mommy, Diet Dr Pepper Is the choice of LDS degenerates. It would probably be sacriligious to call it "necter of the gods", so I won't, but close.
Happy Mommy, Diet Dr Pepper Is the choice of LDS degenerates. It would probably be sacriligious to call it "necter of the gods", so I won't, but close.
Love this post!! I am a Diet DP addict myself.
I agree with Q's comments. Don't make a big deal of it,but don't hide it either.
You're a great leader, and a great mom. If this is one of your biggest problems, then I'd say you're in good shape!!! HAVE FUN! (or at least try not to lose your mind!!)
I have a signature water bottle that I take to Girls Camp every year. It began it's life as a Hershey's Chocolate Syrup bottle, but it's so fun to fill it up with water and guzzle it in front of a crowd of girls and watch their faces!
Personally, I don't imbibe in anything of a caffeinated nature because I honestly can't stand the taste, but I'm not going to preach to anybody and tell them it's naughty or whatever. You are the master of your own free agency. Use it, and don't justify it! If your conscience is clear, then what's the big deal?
Sue Q asked if your conscience is clear, but I'm thinking it must not be, or you wouldn't have written this post!
All I can add is this: I am glad that I have never had this particular addiction problem :~D I don't like the fizzie drinks, either. They burn my throat.
But, give me a bagful of chocolate covered almonds, a long road trip, and the fight to stay awake. Or, when stress hits, I run straight to the Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies. So I'm fighting some battles here, too.
I didn't know you were a columnist at MoMomma!
Go to holyfletch.com and see what it says!!! it's a website dedicating for researching LDS "rumors" and authenticating them or debunking them. It'll give you the Church's official position on caffeine drinks, which basically is there is no official revelation, but be careful about addiction. it also authenticates a story the Prs. McKay drank coke.
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