When was the last time you tangibly used your fitness to help you or someone else in a tough spot?
I was able to use mine when the car I am driving developed a gas leak on the way into the office. I was able to rearrange my schedule so I could drop off the car a trusted auto shop near my house, loaded up a stack of documents and my netbook, crossed my fingers and drove off. I called up my wife to see if she could pick me up and while more than willing to do so, baby Mae was going down for a nap. The baby had a rough night and need a good nap so I told Mistress I would just run home. As I hung up the shop foreman said, 'No don't do that, let one of my guys drive you home." I when I declined that as well, I got the 'weirdo' look.
We are told to exercise because it helps our heart, keeps us near our ideal weight and even relieves stress. We measure the time it takes to run a distance, we log our sets, reps and weight amounts looking for that one rep max or personal best set. We weigh ourselves and say silent prayers into the mirror as we put on our goal pants. And yet, when can you point to any of that investment giving you a dividend?
Here I am, a grown man in comfortable clothes, the same I wore to work, cinching up a rather thick 20 lb day pack and lowering my sunglasses over my eyes, prepared to run home. It looks like the most natural thing in the world to those around me. And off I run.
Fitness is not just a chore or a release or a means to a good race. Sometimes, hopefully when it counts, it allows you to do things that help others. Like letting my daughter get the sleep she needed and my wife not have to drop her work to rescue her husband.
2 comments:
I volunteer at a no-kill cat shelter once a week and do intense physical labor there. I get more done in 4 hours than the other helpers can do in 8!
And we always walk to the bagel store and back on Sat.- 6 mile round trip.
P.S. I never weight myself...and I exercise cause it's fun and playtime for me!
weigh-not weight...duh.
Post a Comment