Race

There was a time when I took up road racing. Not long races, only 3 or 5k, short hops by the marathon, triathlon standards. Still, it was fun and I enjoyed it. I trained for it and was prepared to go the distance. I felt like an athlete, although in the scheme of things, it was modest.

Fast forward, 30 years, I am now quite unfit, finding it hard to walk more than 20 minutes on the tread mill. I am going to work in the city where I must climb stairs and walk 20 blocks a day. I am working out now in earnest in the hopes of getting a bit more fit before this new job starts. It is a challenge.

I saw there was a fun race at the Bronx Zoo, you got to race through the zoo early in the morning and then could stay the whole day and watch the animals. That sounded like lots of fun. What do I need to do to get in shape to take the Bronx Zoo challenge? Walk everyday, do some kind of weight training, I have that gym membership, got to use it!

My goal is to find other fun forms of exercise: Hike in the woods, ride a bike around the local park, swim in the condo pool. How about playing with the dog? Anything that keeps me moving counts.

When was the last time you took a walk or hit the gym? Just do it!

Respectable

Growing up being respectable meant everything to my mother.

She said things like: Get a good job, always be nice to the people on the way up, because you never know who you will meet on the way down, and the favorite of all mom’s in the ‘60’s—wear clean underwear, you never know when you will be in an accident.

I still strive for respectability and compromise my creativity, work life and friendships to appear ok to family and friends. What if I just blew it off?

Would I dare to live on a beach in Cabo and write murder mysteries (or at least try until the money ran out)? Could I sell off everything and hit the road in a camper with a dozen notebooks, pens and my digital camera and see what I could produce in 90 days? Would I dare publish a scandalous memoir of growing up in Larchmont, where respectability was punctured from time to time by crimes like rape, murder and assault? What about less offenses like teaching young ladies not to sweat, to say please and thank you (when you rather say a four letter equivalent of jack off), and of course to always look presentable. The first tenet of respectability seems to be “presentablity.” Don’t forget—full make up required while running to the store to buy a loaf of bread.

Hog wash. I don’t need to run away to be creative. I want to do my work and be a business woman, and earn the required fortune to stay afloat in NY. And I also want to take the risk, and write the tough stuff. Write the stuff I thought I would take to my grave; write the stuff that is not respectable.

I want to be free to write poems, short stories, letters, and reviews that blow the lid off respectability. I want to be free to be me and to do that I must undo, break free, work hard at recovering my true self. I want to start working out to get stronger physically which I think will also allow me to feel stronger mentally to write the tough stuff.

Why be respectable when you can have fun and just be free?

My Myth

Reading a book of daily Celtic Reflections, there was a passage on personal myth yesterday. The page said we have rejected myths to only believe and trust the so called “real.” As if the 10 o’clock news can explain this life to us. We have lost our way.

Some coaches talk about Purpose, but I don’t think that is quite what myth is. Myth is the deeply personal and cultural connection to our history and destiny.

For myself, when I think about my myth, I think of my grandparents who all left Ireland for a better life in America. My grandmother told me, when she was first here, she would go up on the roof and look toward Ireland, she was so lonely. She kept on, and created a new life for herself here. A pioneer!

There is nothing sadder than that Irish music, the longing and hope for return. The Irish feel the West signifies heaven or Paradise. How interesting that is where my ancestor chose to start life again.

What is my myth? I feel it is up to me to cultivate my writing and my spirit. To meditate and put pen to paper is my personal myth. What comes of it, what direction it takes, where I go in meditation and prayer—that is where my myth meets my reality.

What are the myths in your family or tribe? What goes beyond your purpose to the deep inner longing of your soul?

Have a Spring Adventure

Tuesday was a 60-degree sunny day, the first nice day in a long time. My husband Tony and I got into the car and drove north for over an hour to reach the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to enjoy a Price Fix lunch.

What a treat! The service was extraordinary, the ambience amazing, and the food out of this world. I have wanted to visit the Culinary for years. Could it live up to the hype I had created in my mind? CIA did not disappoint. We had a bit of trouble finding our way around the large campus and the students were so helpful and welcoming.

We chose the American Bounty restaurant, because it was the first restaurant we came upon. Know this: The Culinary does like reservations…. And check out their website, it shows menus, specials, directions, etc. (http://www.ciachef.edu/restaurants/default.asp)

What is on your “bucket list” that you can do today? Don’t delay! Have a spring adventure!