Why Me and Wile E

Why Me?

A couple of quotes from Patrick's Blog Day 125

"I have spent my whole life thinking of myself as a "young person" but as 30 approaches I am forced more and more to the realization that yes, age is happening to me too. I'm not saying, oh gosh, I'm 29, I'm so old, poor me. It just hits me in the gut sometimes that I too will lose my youth, get aged, and die, and that's a new feeling that I'm still working with."

and "Anyone can do this. Anyone. You can do this".

Well, substitute "60" for "30" and "58" for "29" and you've got me. Mentally I don't feel nearly 60 but I've been suffering from psoriatic arthritis for about fifteen years (the psoriasis for about 24) and while I was never an exercise freak, the only exercise I take now is walking so if I don't do something soon, it really might be too late.

Patrick has been my yoga teacher for nearly three years but I dropped out about six months ago because my back was giving me a lot of pain and I decided that trying to achieve mental and physical "balance" through a pain barrier was kind-of counter productive.

So I'm here to test out that second statement "Anyone can do this. Anyone. You can do this". And to provide my team mates with the added incentive that "if that old guy is still doing it, then so can I".

I have one slight advantage over them - I've watch Patrick succeed in person and I know that he is literally going to be keeping an eye on me. The disadvantage I have is that I've still got that pain barrier to worry about until my body catches up with my brain on this thing and stops complaining.

Talking about the pain barrier, I got up this morning and I couldn't even jump up and down without shooting pains through the small of my back. Not good, I thought. But by lunchtime it had eased off and I could bounce around a bit so I might have to be selective about what time of day I do my exercises.

Wile E

I know, everyone else has picked a really fit-looking real live role model and Patrick winced at my choice but my hero is Wlie E. Coyote - I've always like him and I have T-shirts to prove it.

OK, so he's not real, just a cartoon character but he epitomises the concept of "never give up". Of course, he never succeeds, but if he did, that would end the story and we all know that life is a journey and the enjoyment is what happens on the way, not reaching the final destination (which I don't want to think about yet, anyway). And he is in the best condition nature (or the Warner Bros cartoonists) will allow - lean and extremely fit, just not quite quick enough to catch the Roadrunner. And he always has a new plan.

Who wants to be quick enough to catch the Road Runner anyway?

The only alternative would have been Superman (the new-fangled light bulb in my bathroom looks like it has the Superman symbol inside it so I figured that the universe was trying to send me a message) but who wants to wear tights and a cape!!

So, counting down in hours now!!