Why my mother was rejected by Weight Watchers

Published: Mon, 02/10/20

Many years ago my mother approached her local branch of Weight Watchers and offered to give advice on sensible eating and correct nutrition. I wasn’t surprised when her offer was politely turned down by the organiser. My mother was slightly miffed as she didn’t lack the qualifications to give such advice. She had a degree in food science, had a brief career as a researcher with the Bovril company before training as a domestic science teacher and taught the subject for several decades. As a family we all ate well and our health and well being benefited accordingly. And my mother was never overweight. Her offer was declined on the grounds that she could not empathise with those who did have a weight problem.

‘Well, of course I haven’t been overweight, I know how to eat correctly and I was going to teach them how to do the same as me.’ My mother said when she told me the story of her rebuff. Okay, knowledge that eating less, and moving around more reduces weight, is not exactly protected by the official secrets act. Somehow, the subtleties of psychology and unconscious motivations were lost on my mother. She was great at sorting out problems, but if you did let her get involved in your issues you had better really want them sorted out. My mother did have the simple answer to losing weight, but she didn’t really understand the complex motivations which leads to overweight in the first place. Weight Watchers undoubtedly did their clients a favour by keeping my mother at a safe distance.

Last week I spent two very interesting days at seminar led by Perry Marshall. Amongst other things I learned a new word which describes exactly what my mother was not as far as the Weight Watchers were concerned. The word is ‘Metron’ which is Greek for ‘Measure’. We use the name ‘Metronome’ for a device which musicians use to keeps the measure of a beat. A Metron is a person who is the measure of all things within a particular sphere of influence. This means that a Metron has enough genuine experience to provide real guidance and understanding. My mother had never let herself become overweight, which was to her credit in one sense, but she could never be a Metron to those who did struggle with obesity.

The hard part with being a Metron is that genuine experience means failures and making mistakes. There is an old expression which goes something like.

‘If you want to find a real healer, look for the person with scars.’ There are many kinds of scars, the physical ones might be seen, but others are revealed in our stories and our attitude to life. Scars need to be sufficiently healed that we can function effectively, but not so faded that we have forgotten the lesson they taught us. We all have the capacity to be a Metron in some sphere of influence. That capacity will come from genuine experience combined with empathy and compassion. It is just as possible that experience will lead to bitterness and denial. Being a Metron is a tough calling, yet we have all been helped and guided by those who have been Metrons for us.

Maybe the part of your life which reveals your greatest weakness, and which has been the greatest source of pain could make you a Metron. Probably no one really wants to be a Metron, but it may still be our calling.

regards

Graham

PS The Runatal (Tally of Runes, stanzas 138 to 145) section of the Havamal describes ordeal leading to enlightenment, and then to rapid expansion in wisdom, expression and action. A highly symbolic description of someone becoming a Metron? At the Rune Retreat at Baldersvaki (Mid-Summer) we will explore this theme in depth http://rr.stavcamp.org/