Day 67

The merry month of May starts today. I need new merry clothes: cheerful print tops and new pants. My language shall be even merrier with more kindness and positive comments, lots of gratitude and personal acknowledgements. Today I can get it going in church and on my walks. I’m feeling good about the new contacts with the POH writing group and the Dems, and the gardeners. Life is full of interesting people now that I have the energy to find them.

Palm write

I enjoy walking. Always have. The past three years walking has been therapy, a prescription for osteoporosis. This condition is one of the side effects of iron storage depletion caused by donating blood. The only tools I have are exercise and nutrition.

Yesterday morning I put on my coat and hat, picked up my gloves and headed for the front door. I didn’t want to go. I felt that I had nothing to work with, no physical energy. Medicine, I reminded myself, need not be pleasant but take it anyway. Down the front steps with a longing look back at the front door. A snail could beat me to the corner but onward and upward. I walk the same route most days and part of it is along H Street, from Cooper to Front, part up the highway from Front to Cooper. As I was plodding along, a driver waved at me. I recognized a guy who plays clarinet at the senior center on Tuesdays. Nice, I thought. Maybe my pace picked up a bit. Then a honk and wave. It was Chief Minsal, who rolled down his window and asked me to coffee. No, thanks, I’m taking my medicine. After that I noticed my posture had improved. I remembered to hoist my lungs up out of my belly, get my shoulders down and my neck straight. I even rolled my feet as I picked up the pace again. I stopped at Safeway to buy bananas and ran into old workmates from the Pine Grove days, Hugs and quick catch ups are wonderful. More acknowledgements as I did my walk: the guy who painted my house, an old neighbor, lots of smiles. Not only did I improve my body mechanics, walk faster, but I realized how firmly I belong in my community. No matter what time of day, I will see people I know and enjoy the mutual waving and calling hellos. By the time I’m climbing Cooper hill, I have springs in my feet again and a driver calls out “are you walking or dancing?” I feel so much better in body and spirit by the time I get back home. Now, did pushing myself to walk bring the improvement as I went along, or was it the recognition  and feeling included in other peoples’ day.