The Walk Of Life

Friday September 25th, 2009 - Lake Villa, IL

Two more laps in the mall today and I’m starting to feel like an athlete. Not the in shape part, the throbbing pain afterward. It’s worth it because I know this is the right thing to do and I will keep doing it as often as humanly possible for the rest of my life, however long that may be. I know if I don’t keep doing this regularly chances are it will be a lot shorter.

I remember taking walks as a kid with my grandfather as he was recovering from heart bypass surgery. Mall walking wasn’t popular then and the bypass surgeries were a whole lot more involved than they are today and he was in rough shape for a while. He started a whole physical fitness program in his 60s and really stuck to it but the damage was done.

Those walks were some of the most wonderful times in my entire life. We would go on different routes depending on his mood and once in a while he’d let me choose where we walked. I don’t remember if he walked every day and I didn’t join him every time but the times I did go were magical. He’d open up and tell me about the wonders of the world.

Gramps always talked to me as an adult and respected my ability to grasp adult things. I would have his ear during those walks and could and would ask him anything. He’d talk a blue streak about any subject I wanted and he’d bring up a few of his own too. He rotated a lot of subjects so he could educate me. It was on one of these walks we had the sex talk.

I was just starting to hit the puberty age and at first it was very awkward when the topic came up but then after a while it was part of the rotation along with sports, life goals and any problems I might have been experiencing at the time. Gramps knew how to work it.

Hopefully I’m not going to have to need bypass surgery but it’s time to start preventing that now. I’ve been eating horribly for decades and the road comic lifestyle is not exactly the recipe for physical fitness. Sitting like a lump in a car for hours to go stand on a stage and talk for 45 minutes doesn’t burn off very many calories, and a microphone is all I lift.

These walks are starting to feel really good but I also feel all the years of neglecting my body starting to catch up. It happens to millions of other people too but I want to be smart and not just let myself keep sliding down the path to a massive chest grabber. Keeping up the way I’ve been eating and not exercising at all will make it a reality sooner than later.

I’m also finding myself really getting lost in thought, which I love. I’m having all kinds of ideas and I need to start bringing something to write them down. Usually the shower is my main place for creative ideas but this is beginning to crank them out as well. I like the fact I’m multitasking and I can think in depth about anything I choose. It’s a mental gym.

I have a ton of ideas and limited time and energy to try them all. That has been and still is my worst problem. I guess there could be worse problems, like dealing with recovering from a heart attack from a lack of exercise. I wish I could start my life over and do things right but everyone has their own regrets. One thing I don’t regret is starting to smarten up.