No one gets stitches when they sit in a chair, cross-legged ,and hunt and pecks out a message on a Saturday night. No one gets stitches when they sit in a barca lounger and drink beers as he/she watches their favorite team play football. Reading a great book for hours at a time will never lead to a need to a trip to any emergency room. I'm not saying that any one of these activities is a bad activity- far from it- but each of these is an activity that does not require the partaker to be active. They can be properly described as sedentary activities.
President Obama need to be given some medical attention on Friday, November 26th. He was involved in a strenuous basketball game and he took a hard shot to the lip, this injury required 17 stitches. Our President is athletic and active! If you expect this to be a political commentary- you are only going to be partially correct! The political commentary here is going to be a bi-partisan embraceable notion. That all of us gain when we get out of our comfort zone, get active, be as physical as possible and above all take risks!
I was homeless at one point, as I alluded to at one point. In the Fall of 2003, I had to fight off notions that my life had fallen into the pits and could not possibly get better. As a matter of fact during some of those nights, 6 years ago, I spent night either walking endlessly or trying-fitfully to sleep- outside- and actually believing that things were only going to get worse!
Through many difficult and soul-wrenching days, Things gradually improved. I eventually lived in an apartment in Reston, Virginia. I now live in an apartment by myself in an apartment in Alexandria, Virginia. I do not always value this dwelling place as I should UNTIL I realize that this is better. I honestly MUST state that I'd like my life to be BETTER than it is now. However, My sanity AND my conscience demand that I realize that my life HAS been much worse at times in the past!
I know, I've been taught and living life one day at a time has taught me that improving my life REQUIRES that I be intensely committed and dedicated to improving it. I was complaining to 3 friend this summer on a Thursday Night at Church. A 20 something man said, "I know something that will make your life better- Do ONE push up a day." I scoffed and mocked- " One push up a day, What will that change!" . He mocked me further, " I guess that is just too hard for you?! I dare you - ONE PUSH UP A DAY!" So, a few days later, I did that one pushup. I now average between 50 to 150 pushups a day. I do have better body definition that I had in July at present and my weight has dropped by a few pounds. I'm also now seeing some success in my being calmer after making a deliberate effort to cut back on my coffee drinking.
I'm not a big fan of Our President, Yet, I very much admire and am impressed by his commitment to being physically active. Nothing plus nothing will always equal nothing.So, Today, I went to a Toastmasters meeting, had a brief session on my treadmill, did some pushups and went for a walk. Small????, Yes!!!!!! Do I need to do more????? Yes!!!!! All of this is clearly true. However, I know I can do more, I am confident I canm because I am NOW doing more than I have been in recent history.
Mr. President, I'm sorry you needed stitches but I admire your willingness to put yourself AT RISK in order to play basketball as well as you do! We all can benefit by following your example- Looking at what we do well, decide that it IS possible to do that better, to noticably and steadily make a commitment to improve- and then ,resolutely, get into action in order to make it be so!
- Johnny -
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