Spirals

I took this photo on May 28, 2012. Today is May 28, 2015. How did this photo happen to come to mind today? Facebook. Freakin Facebook. Normally I like to see what "On This Day" has pulled up for me, but not today. Not this photo.

I took this photo on my way to my summer job at a camp in Colorado. What a summer. It was a good experience with its ups and downs but ended sourly. Anger. That's what this photo reminds me of. That job is no more.

You can see my car in the photo. My 1999 Camry. The one that I rolled and totaled about 18 1/2 months after this photo. Terror. That's what this photo reminds me of. That car is no more.

That morning I said goodbye to my dogs Mali and Scout not positive I would ever see Mali again. She was already sick by then, although doing fairly well. She did make it through the summer but died the following spring just after her 13th birthday. Sadness. That's what this photo reminds me of. Mali is no more.

I took this shot because the scenery was breathtaking. That scenery is breathtaking. Who would have thought that seeing this photo three years to the day it was taken would make me feel anything but awe? But that's not how it makes me feel.

Red Sand and Mud

I wrote this for my AP English Language and Composition class in 11th grade. I believe the assignment was related to a poem we read in class but I don't remember the details.

Red Sand and Mud

I’m from Velcro shoes and monkey bars

From riding bikes in the street until dark

I’m from two percent milk and pretzel sticks

From sunscreen and bright colored socks

I’m from Mavis Beacon and Putt Putt Moon

And from tennis at Highpoint with Dad

I’m from the mulberry tree and the hiking area

From the red sand and the mud

I’m from play dates and swimming lessons

From the parks with their appointed names

I’m from Lunch Bunch and Campfire

And reading in the den with Mom

I’m from family Shabbat dinners and religious school

From the ’87 Camry and the bomb

I’m from library cards and state quarter collections

From snow boots outgrown before being worn

I’m from moments long gone

And memories that are distant

I’m from a simpler life that is behind me
From times I can just remember

News Flash: Your Workout Program is Not Better Than Theirs

Since the middle of January, I have been going to CrossFit four times a week as my main exercise. I'm having a lot of fun with it and getting stronger each week, but despite my excitement, I have been hesitant to tell lots of people about it. Why? To explain, let me tell you about some imaginary people's workout routines:

Alice goes to an hour-long yoga class every day before work (5 mornings per week). On the weekends she enjoys spending time with her kids playing in the backyard and going for family bike rides.

Nick plays on a competitive soccer team in the city league. His team practices four evenings a week and has at least one game most weekends.

Christina is a busy full-time mom who spends the first part of every morning getting her older kids off to school. Several days a week during her toddler's nap time, she puts him in the stroller and goes for a two-mile walk.

Joseph is into powerlifting and has won several local competitions. He trains five days a week with other serious lifters perfecting his form and increasing his lifts.

Mark goes to the gym three days a week and spends thirty minutes on an elliptical machine followed by thirty minutes of weight lifting on strength training machines.

Lynn runs fifty miles per week, including a long 15-20 mile run on Saturdays.

So the question is, who has the best workout routine? And the answer is... it depends on the person! Is her workout program helping her keep her objective health numbers in check, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, bone density, and body fat percentage? Does he enjoy his workout routine rather than viewing it as an unfortunate chore? If the individual can answer yes to these questions then it's a GOOD program! Everyone has different starting points, from morbid obesity to already quite fit, different goals, from winning national tournaments to reducing or maintaining body fat percentage, and everyone has different amounts of time to devote to their program.

So yes, I do CrossFit. Does that make me better than any other exerciser out there? No. Do I enjoy doing CrossFit? Yes. Is CrossFit the right program for everyone? No.

Let's worry about our own workout programs and stop demeaning others who have chosen different routes to staying fit and healthy than we have. Calling CrossFitters "crazy", serious lifters "meatheads", people who primarily do cardiovascular exercises "cardio bunnies", etc., has no place in the fitness community.