Don't Drown the Good Swimmer!

Hello out there in Blogger-Land! Day #11 and I hit the trail by logging 15,726 steps, which is a nice way to jump-start any Monday!

In my family, I was #5 of nine children and our parents taught us that we had the power to transform any negative situation by simply finding the courage to say or do something positive. Mom was very clear on what she expected us to do if we ever found ourselves hanging out with people who were engaged in tearing down or mocking another person.

The rule was: If a group of kids was talking about how awful someone was dressed; or how different that person looked compared to everyone else in the room; or how they had failed big-time at some important task, our job was to scream out loud, "But she's a very good swimmer!" We found that highlighting a positive to undermine the negative always worked!

Tish Trek - my 51/51 Challenge can be won if I take the time to acknowledge my own "Good Swimmer Moments" along the way...

I don't know who else would admit to all this, but yes - I've eaten Stouffer's macaroni and cheese while watching David Letterman for 20 years because customer support @ my job and a 4-5 hour commute extended my day and my eating schedule into hours when most people were sleeping. Okay - After life-altering medical procedures, I sometimes operated more as a spectator rather than a participant in my own healing process; I skipped doctor's appointments and pacemaker check-ups because I was too busy and changing a calendar item on a whim was easy to do. Now I'm thinking I probably participated in putting my caloric intake and/or triglycerides right through the roof because my cousins and I love Pinot Grigio and ice cream.

Yes - I'm guilty of all these vices, but harping on such facts can weigh you down when you're in the Virgin Healthmiles GoZone. It's important to reach for some Good Swimmer moments and to shout, "But hey - I never smoked!" or "But wait a minute, I jogged on-and-off for 30 years." These facts could help make this journey kinder and gentler for me after all.

In closing, just remember this: It's okay to give yourself a standing ovation if you've earned one!


Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 5/51

Quote of the Day: American writer James Baldwin once said: "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."