Routine and Ritual

I wrote this July 3, 2013 

Last week I was under 220 for the first time since I was 20! I never thought I would be this thin or this strong again, ever. I was shocked to see I weighed 218 pounds! I try not to pay too much attention to my weight, especially when I weighed 269. Actually at 269 is when I would stop weighing myself at all, but two years ago when I couldn't stand up straight because of my back and I used all the pain I was experiencing in my knee, hip, back and wrists as an excuse to be old I decided to make what was routine into a ritual. My workouts and physical therapy were routine and ineffective. I drudged through them with zero enthusiasm and my work outs became a reflection of my life.

I was on the treadmill in the cardio cinema at Gold's limping through a warm-up mile and the worst movie ever to work out to was on, "27 Dresses" I know right, and I was really angry and feeling sorry for myself and pissed that such a chick flick was on and then all of the sudden all these wedding scenes start playing and some pretty monumental revelations come to me when I see my dad at my sister's wedding, and at my brother's wedding, and at my wedding and I remember how he had to fight, and claw himself back into shape against all odds from heart attacks and strokes just to be at those most special events. At my wedding he made an incredible toast about sipping the sweet nectar of life and that moments like this are what make all the hard work and disappointment we face worth it.