I'm in a hurry

This song by Alabama came out 25 years ago when I was busy with kids and work and I find that at times this hurry sickness invades my retirement life as well and I have to ask myself why? 

I'm in a hurry to get things done

Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why.

Don't know why

I have to drive so fast

My car has nothing to prove

It's not new

But it'll do 0 to 60 in 5.2.

Oh I'm in a hurry to get things done

Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why.

Can't be late

I leave plenty of time

Shaking hands with the clock

I can't stop

I'm on a roll and I'm ready to rock.

Oh I'm in a hurry to get things done

Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why.

I hear a voice

That say's I'm running behind

I better pick up my pace

It's a race

And there ain't no room

For someone in second place.

I'm in a hurry to get things done

Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why.

I'm in a hurry to get things done

Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why.

I'm in a hurry to get things done

Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why.

I'm in a hurry to get things done

Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why...

The music of the song has a fast tempo which adds to the anxiety of "rushing, rushing".  I have a driven, type A, task oriented personality so that is why I still find myself rushing and competing even in retirement! Now contrast that with the story of The Tortoise and the Hare. "The Tortoise and the Hare" is one of Aesop's Fables.   It is a variant of a common folktale theme in which ingenuity and trickery (rather than doggedness) are employed to overcome a stronger opponent. (wikipedia)

 We most often want a quick fix in weight loss. We are deluged with ads on TV promising quick weight loss. We may have tried them or know someone who has but the sad fact is that the weight loss often doesn't last. I am here to say s-l-o-w weight loss is agonizing but satisfying. It is  3 steps forward and 2 steps back agonizing. But I like the term "doggedness" in describing the tortoise and
 although the loss of 18# in 18 weeks seems. so. slow, the results in how I look and feel are great so I will doggedly carry on. 

Silly, Funny or Foolish

We all have different senses of humor. In the 1960's the phrase "sick" was coined in regards to humor. Sick humor is humorous but may be in bad taste. Think of the humor of Foster Brooks or Ben Colder from the 1960's where they made fun of inebriated people. In light of the fact that we now know that alcoholism is a serious disease, many of those skits now just seem sad. 

I love to laugh. I love the videos of babies laughing. Have you seen the one of the baby laughing at ripping paper? Have you ever gotten the giggles at the wrong time? Have you ever laughed so hard that the tears ran down your legs? Laughter is good for the soul. There is so much sadness in the world so it's important to take time out to laugh and be silly and foolish. Certain personalities find it easier to be foolish than others.  I have a memory of watching the movie Sister Act with friends in a hotel room while we were at a conference. One of my friends jumped up on the bed to dance during the songs. What fun! I am grateful that my family loves to laugh. I am grateful to spend time with children who love to laugh. Being silly almost always puts me in a better mood. 

When I tried a new water fitness class last week, we were asked to form a couple of circles and we did the "hokey-pokey" in the water! We were uncomfortable with new people and some had disabilities so putting our right leg in and out of the circle helped to break the ice. Then we did an exercise holding on to our neighbor's water noodle. It was fun! Seeing myself in a swimsuit or in the mirrors in the workout room could make me cry in hopelessness unless I can see the humor and joy in my life.  I hope you find opportunities to be silly and to laugh this week. 

What's the plan?

I like to make plans. Within my family, I have been asked to plan birthdays and reunions and other celebrations as well as activities while we were in Arizona. It was not a chore for me as I love planning. When we were building our house in Van Hook or buying our house in Fargo, I fell asleep easily because I was planning furniture placement and decor. So I find it interesting that I have been resistive to planning my meals while on this journey to better health!

Weight Watcher members are asked to consider "why" they want to lose weight. It might be so they can be more active or to improve their blood pressure or blood sugars or to reduce pain in their joints or to look better. Last week we were asked to consider "how" we will get to our "why".  Many members stated they plan ahead either for the week or for the day. Lately, I have been resistive to planning and to logging my food and therefore had a weight gain this week. I found myself wondering why I resist planning my meals when I generally love to plan. Do I resist planning because in the past life with work and kids was so regimented and now I love the spontaneity of retirement?  Do I resist planning because I love my independence so much that I don't want anyone (including myself)) telling me what to do? Do I resist because I'm not sure what I will be hungry for later today or later this week?  I started this journey with a plan to succeed. The reality is that my chances of succeeding are greater if I plan and certainly if I track what I eat.

Random Thoughts during Senior step aerobics

• The class was full this Monday. Is it everybody making up for an unhealthy weekend?
• When the class is that full, you have to be careful that you don't run into anyone.  A fall at our age can be disastrous.....or funny
• Does there really have to be two walls of mirrors in this room?
• Good music makes the routine go much faster. My favorites today were: Charlie Brown, Last Kiss and ......I can't remember the name of the last song but it had a great beat!
• In every class I take, there are people who resemble people I know. Today I imagined I saw Bonnie Placek, Janeen Norland, my sister in law, Betty Anderson and Emily Doughty....oh wait, that really was Emily Doughty, someone I worked with at Good Sam.
• Gray is not my color.
• Almost everyone wears black pants.
• There are over and under-achievers in any group. On any given day I can be either. 
• I can focus on the fact that I am overweight (especially while looking in that mirrored wall) or focus on the fact that I am pretty awesome to be doing this twice a week for 7 weeks....plus my other classes!
• I win the prize for cutest, sparkliest shoes. I will have to figure out how to get pictures on here so you can see them too. 
• I exercise for the endorphins. Love that good feeling that stays with me most of the day!

There are no rules.

Rules and laws have certainly changed in my lifetime. There were unwritten rules about what women could and couldn't do when I was growing up. I remember asking my older sisters if I could be a Pastor and they said no that I couldn't. Despite the fact that becoming a woman Pastor was not available to me in 1969 when I started college, it is interesting to know that my career  was spent "ministering" to others. The recent movie "Hidden Figures" sure pointed out the rules in the 1950's and made me appreciate the progress made because the rules changed.

There's a rule on a sign at the side of the pool at Family Wellness that says "No games or swimming where you hold your breath for extended periods of time under water". I imagine that a lifeguard or two came up with that rule after being scared that someone was drownding.

I love to swim. So much so that it doesn't bother me to get in a swimsuit. There are both men and women at the Senior aquacize class that I attend. We are of all shapes and sizes but once we get in the water, you can't really see our differences. The biggest things we have in common are that we enjoy water and we want to be more fit. That over-rides an un-written rule that says people of a certain age or shape shouldn't be in a swimsuit. There are no rules!

One thing I tried to teach my kids is that the things that we are so obsessed about are often not even noticed by others. People have so much of their own insecurities to deal with that they don't notice your insecurities.  On top of that, confident (not arrogant) people project a different image despite their shape or size or haircut or clothes.   Have you ever known someone who actually glowed with confidence and joy?

 I still experience insecurities but I am much more confident in this body of mine. I love feeling strong and healthy and I truly don't care what others think when I wear a swimsuit or my other workout gear. If they don't like it, too bad because I do and that's all that counts in that situation.

Robin Williams said: "There are no rules. Follow your heart."

Nevertheless She Persisted

Life got in the way of the focus on healthy eating and exercise this fall. First of all we took a wonderful 19 day Fall foliage and historic bus tour to the East coast. Our days were long and packed and so I avoided the exercise rooms at the various hotels we stayed at. In addition the lure of fast food and sometimes fancy food was strong. Early on, I decided that since this was a trip of a lifetime , I wasn't going to worry about what I ate or whether I  exercised but was just going to go with the flow and enjoy each moment. There were a few days when we walked and walked and walked. When we got back from the bus tour in early October, I stayed in Fargo while Arden went back to Van Hook.

We had beautiful weather in November and I was able to walk on the beautiful walking paths in Fargo. I found a new physician for my annual physical in early December and as a friend once told me "I look good on paper!" My BP, cholesterol and blood sugar are all good. He asked if I wanted to talk to a nutritionist about my weight and I declined. I told him that I know what is healthy, it's just getting the message from my head to my mouth that's hard. I also told him I had a plan for weight loss. Anyway, he said he would see me in a year and hoped to see me lose 45-50 pounds in that year.

Shortly after my physical, my asthma and allergies kicked in so I spent several weeks coughing and hacking and inhaling and nebulizing so didn't focus on healthy eating and exercising then. I have several times a year where I hit re-start...in January, in April (my birthday), July (halfway point of the year) and September when school starts. So in January I joined Weight Watchers and joined several group exercise routines at the Fargo Family Wellness center which is close to our Fargo house. I am stronger than I've ever been and love the Aquacize classes and Senior Spin classes as well as the low impact aerobics set to 50's and 60's music. I am on the right path.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” by Calvin Coolidge