RESPONDING TO A CHALLENGE
Friday, Nov. 15, 2019
I am responding to a challenge put to me. Not person-to-person, but rather person-to-crowd, at that writers’ conference I attended recently – exhorting us to avoid telling how someone felt, but showing how they felt. The statement: show, don’t tell … ringing in my mind as clearly as if it was ringing in my ears. I’ve learned that once I get something like that, a profound something, that I can’t get rid of it except by doing it …
So, here was my Thursday – yesterday:
I woke up on the couch just before 5AM. I didn’t have to wait for my phone alarm to wake me – I was suddenly instant-awake the way I wish my computer could do instant-on, but no, this was waking up too early morning news on a channel I don’t watch in the mornings. It was the one I had on last night about midnight while I was waiting for a late-night show to start. I fell asleep and missed that show, missed the entire night of whatever infomercials and other crap would have been playing. I rose, switched the TV off, and went to bed. Getting to sleep was impossible. Within minutes I was up, started the coffee maker, made the bed, dressed with walking shoes on – I was embarking on my morning walk. The number on the bathroom scale displeased me. Not insanely, but I knew where and how I’d eaten every bit of deliciousness that caused that two-pound upward bump.
Walking, that’s the key. Along with ‘more water-less food,’ and exercise. And sleep. So here I was, typing these words, lacing up the second shoe and heading out the door.
Yesterday was playing on my mind though – which is a good thing for walking, to have some yesterday still in my head to process. Those were: speaking to a Rotary club breakfast the morning before (the calorie count started there!), the work I did, the work I didn’t get done, the phone and email exchanges of the day, some transactional elements of two things I moved forward and the hundred or so I never touched. And some correspondence I did finish last night, an unexpected phone call asking for advice, two calls from agents who believe they have ‘just the right tenant’ for that new listing I put on the market and – that other email exchange, someone nice from that dating site.
Out the door, collecting newspaper (just one so far), one cup of coffee – then I’ll get out the door for the walk.
What had begun as ‘I’ll be out walking by 5:15 – my daily desire, became out the door by 6:15’, which I was. Well, I thought I was, but after two cups became three, two internet dives to find music and an accidental diversion for these two gems: Sarah Gray’s Moth Talk – and as often happens on YouTube, something else plays right after – it was this chestnut from Al Martino.
I opened the door to find my second newspaper was there – which meant, read, eat some breakfast, wash up some dishes, bag the trash, and be ready to head out for my walk. It was 7:15.
Upon returning from that walk – a flurry of activity; pop some laundry in the washer, put dishes away, exchange some emails, some prep for the evening’s Toastmasters meeting – shave, shower, dress and depart for the office by 8:30.
Long day, mostly good.
Toastmasters meeting – 2 hrs. of very good, and some tough things too.
I picked up a few groceries, came home – polished and loaded this, slept.
And soon I’ll wake – attend breakfast club meeting, another hectic day …
