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| I probably should have been pulling the weeds growing in the cracks of my driveway, but I chose to indulge in pleasure and rode my fancy-schmancy new bike instead. |
I'm not a list maker. I don't write down my daily to-do's at home, nor at work. I have yet to move my Bucket List beyond two dreams that I'll probably cross off in the next couple of years. I'm just not a thinker; I'm more of a do-er. Or so I thought, until I had the day off.
This summer has been crazy-hectic. It's been wonderful, but left me with little time to do the simpler things in life that just give me a perk. So today I had the day off work, and by 8:30, I was already starting to feel defeated. I started remembering all those things I wanted to do today. Not the things I should do -- the things I wanted to do. Like ride my new bike, play my flute, clean out my son's closet, exercise, and go to the library for Pattie Mallette's new book.
Instead, I found that I was spending my morning watching the same stupid talk shows I always watch when I'm home, and thinking of the things that I need to do (clean), but have put off. So I started to pick up all the shoes on the floor and then I thought --no. They're not mine and I'm not going to. This is my day off and I'm going to ride my bike!
So, I went for a bike ride. (I won't describe the pain that immediately followed.) As I caught my breath, I thought, what next? Not my flute. That will have to be later today, when I can breathe again. I tried to remember all the things I thought I wanted to do today but I couldn't remember what they were. Then it hit me: I need to write them down. I need to make a list of all the things I want to do and give myself time to do them. But I'm not going to cross them off. I want to keep doing them.
If it takes a list to remind me to do the things I enjoy doing, then so be it. I'm making my list and checking it twice. And now, I'm off to the library to read about Justin Bieber's mom. Because later, I have to play my flute.
Woah! You got onto a bike? If you got me onto a bike, my knees would lock within 50 metres. Honestly they would! The reason being? Well, I used to be a skateboarder when I was a teenager... and doing that sport wrecked my knees, hips and ankles. I took up the sport when I was 11 and had to stop when I was 22 - so that was 10 blissful years of being able to keep up with the young 'uns. Now, if I want to get on a skateboard, I fall off it (you know, my brain knows how to do all the moves, but my body doesn't... takes a lot of practice to get it all right!). But I found out that I didn't have the moves on holidays at the coast when I took off on the pushbike... I got to the nearest park (50 metres down the road) and my knees locked up. Oh, the agony! I couldn't move or get off the bike, so had to let it slow down and fall off! I had people come running from all directions to help me off while I cried my eyes out and held my knees like a little girl! Fortunately, there was a carnival in town and they had ice packs in their caravans which they applied to my kneecaps. How good of them!
ReplyDeleteWhen I came back home to Brisbane, I told my doctor what happened and he said to stick to walking, not cycling; that the perpetual movement isn't something my knees have been accustomed to and that my cartilage isn't as good as it was when i was young.
Sure enough, when I need to jump over something, or off a short wall, my knees buckle and ache - I feel so old! I'm only 38! :(
Oh my gosh. That sounds so painful, Mozette! Definitely not worth the pain. Mine was relatively simple: just muscle burn. I plan to keep riding so I don't suffer every time. It was fun to feel the wind on my face. And I kept up with a school bus, which I'm sure was entertaining for the kids on board. :)
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