Over the last year I started a complete makeover of me. Boy, did I need it. As the years roll by you easily fall into being one those people you were so frustrated with growing up. You think, “Naw, that can’t happen to me.” Then it does. You become your parents or worse some else’s parents.
I watched in awe all my kids marched off to college with nothing but blue sky ahead. Then, one day I thought, “Why only them, why not me?” Me Indeed.
In order to break out you need a break through. Shoeless running was the catalyst for me. Check this out:
And this book:
“Born to run” by Christopher McDougall
Eye opening. I stopped running years ago due to back, foot, and hamstring problems. By taking off my shoes I solved all these problems. I ran my first half marathon this fall.
Now that I can run for hours I needed something to occupy my mind. “Wait, I always thought I could be an author. Let’s give that a try.” And so I did. It turns out I have a little talent and a long way to go.
With all this change flying around I was susceptible to even more change. After watching the documentaries “Food, Inc.” and “The Cove” I found myself thinking, “I am a vegetarian. This was a big shock to everyone around me. What I found out was that I am not really a Vegetarian, which is defined by a no-meat militancy, but rather a selectarian. This variety of animal hugger chooses not to eat meat for the most part, but in social situations will choose to go with the flow rather than make a no-meat scene. My diet choice is a personal thing. No need to force others to bend to my sensibilities.
Then along came Zen. A part of me was already there. All I needed to do was to learn what I did not know. My Zen candidacy continues. Try it.
Which leads me to writing. All my life I have been writing stories in my head. Now I am putting them into little electronic bits inside a computer. So far I can equate my writing to cave painting, no slight to Neanderthals. However even if my skills do not progress further the writing is therapeutic and will press on regardless.
So there you have it. If you do not like the new me at least there is less of me to not like. Now I do not have to face the rejection by my species alone. I can vent and work out my issues on my writing. My friend Zen helps me to experience my rejection directly then discard the resulting negative emotions like so many bubbles. And by now I have probably saved the life of one cow someday. Small victories.
