New Humor

Exercise, now that is a word with meaning and one I avoid whenever possible. I walk a lot. I always have, but that joining a fitness club has endless possibilities, none of which I find appealing. My daughter Pat talked me into joining a club with her some many years back, and I still have Charley horses from the effort to be thin. . . thin . . . I was born with big bones, a big frame and there was nothing that would reduce it to a Barbie size. I tried but my heart wasn't in it. What I did enjoy was the hot springs when I lived in Carson City, Nevada. Now that is a way to exercise, moving in hot water and no bad results, just a feeling of energy although some folks came out of the hot water feeling like they needed to go home and take a nap. I always felt energized and my friend and I would go to the nearest lunch stop and fill up so we could have the energy to return for another soak. I had no idea as we age the body has a mind of its own and thin is not within the brain waves. Of course you have to live to be an octogenarian to develop the barrel shape, much like your grandmothers; well mine had a barrel shape and I am doing a very good job of following the genes. When we go for our checkups we hear the doctor mouth the word exercise and he means well but he hasn't reached the age where his get up and go has gone. I'd like to be around to see and hear the doctors when they reach the age of immobility and hear what kind of exercise they spout to cure it. Getting into a chair is one thing, but getting out of it is an entirely different story. I am not sure if I told this story or not, but bear with me as the mind is in another stage of growth which I am still trying to figure out. I was in a lovely restaurant seated in a bench like seat along the wall with a small table in front of me and a chair on the opposite side of the table. I chose the inside seat thinking it would be easier for me to stand up and leave, but, it proved to be otherwise as the waitress stood blocking a table that would have been a great hand hold to rise up out of my seat. After much to do my daughter helped me out of my seat while three tables of seniors looking on. A comment was made about how difficult it is to grow old as a smile of knowing crossed their faces. I all but took a bow when I told them getting old was only half of the problem, the big problem was rising the body from a seated position as gracefully as possible. Did you ever see Disney's hippos in their tutus? Well, that will give you an image of what becomes graceful movement of the octogenarians. BUT, moving is good, as one of my friends said, 'it beats the alternative.'

I hope you are all feeling and looking graceful today. If you are an exercise club member and enjoy it, great. . . go for it. If not, get out and walk it really is good for you. You just never know who you will meet along the way. Make your today a good one.