Excess

The other day, my husband and I were following a car that had an excellent bumper sticker of a mere three words: Excess in Moderation. It was such a stellar example of an oxymoron that we both burst out laughing.

The fact that this was spotted in Madison just added to the fun. Our Capital city is known for its liberal bent and tolerance. They know a joke on your bumper sticker is better than blatant hate or nastiness.

After our spontaneous laughter, my thoughts drifted to the meaning of those humorous words. It didn’t take long to realize I agreed with them. Reason, logic and moderation are the touchstones of my life. Extreme anything is not for me. In my opinion, the only thing that should be extreme is love.

Shunning that occasional binge of excess is not a recipe for a happy life. For example, I once was at a dinner party with a group of women. A fabulous cake was served for dessert. One diner, a fanatical dieter said, “You all eat the cake and I will enjoy the smell.” None of us would have been too sorry if that woman had fallen face first in the cake.

An hour after spotting “Excess in Moderation”, we went out for breakfast and ordered eggs and hash browns. The potatoes were loaded with grease, salt and starch and filled a plate. The calorie count was listed on the menu at 750. Total excess, but I only ate half and brought the rest home for the raccoons. Moderation.

5