Day 14 - Lovely Day of Amore

Happy to report that I did get up this Tuesday morning at 5:30 a.m.to exercise. By it self, I felt a sense of reward for following through. Yes, a little pat on the back is a good thing although short lived.

I already had my clothes, shoes, and other items ready to go near my bed.  I did not waste time foraging through my room looking for excuses not to exercise.

Over the weekend, I had cleaned up my bedroom so I could move about easily.  This morning was far warmer than the day before as well. These preparatory activities really made it difficult to be lazy, ignore the alarm, or be a flake.  I had no excuses or at least far fewer excuses.

I learned from the night before that there was going to be a dense fog advisory in the morning.  Oh, was the fog thick, but it was calming for some reason.  As I passed the eighteen acre Texas State Cemetery with headstones of dead confederate soldiers, I noticed that I could not see the red signal lights around 300 yards in front me.  Of course, the sun hadn't risen and no one else seemed to utter a sound. The dogs bark fell silent and birds remained still.

As I walked, I could only hear my heart beat, my footsteps and an occasional car or Metro bus pass by.  Passing into darkest on the street along the cemetery, the street lights were out and the fog made all else mostly translucent allowing a certain peace of mind to come over me.

Often times, cemeteries are feared for their ghostly features, respected for their sacredness, and avoided because they remind us of the intimidating welcome of death we each must encounter.  On this day, I sorted through the fog of night into the cemetery and felt calm, an ease of mind and body, while alone and each sound of my footstep faded in my mind.

I stood for a moment, which ended up being more than twenty.  In those moments, I was reminded of what joy and peace I received from my early morning exercises. I smiled and continued to finish my walk/run.

Through the day, I responded to difficulties and stayed on track with my water food, and stayed away from sweets successfully.  By the end of the day, I found that the day passed without incident.  I found myself more willing to share with friends and family my regular accomplishments and challenges.

I look forward the next day.