The Gym

            I feel so silly sharing my gym story. I have spent most of the past 3.5 years avoiding the gym....not only avoiding it, but proudly avoiding it. Nope, I was a natural runner, I would run outdoors in all types of weather. This past month something unexpected happened that changed my entire running routine. I fell. This was a fairly simple fall. I slipped on a tiny piece of white paper in my classroom and did not feel any pain until the next day after attempting to run. I walked that day instead and vowed to stay off running for a week. a week later I try running again and only managed 2 out of the 4 miles planned. NOW, I knew I had a problem. Fast forward a few more days and I had a doctor tell me to stay off running for two weeks. Seeing as my entire emotional well-being is tied to my workout routine I needed to do something fast....not running (too painful), not walking (not intense enough), not swimming (I'm not a good swimmer)....the doctor mentioned rowing. For rowing I'd need to join a gym. And that, my friends, is how I got to like the gym.

           The Universe has a way of breaking our most stubborn streaks and if we can continue to stay positive through the curve balls she throws our way, we might actually find that it's a blessing in a disguise. Yes, there will be those folks that will never see a misfortune as anything more than just that, a misfortune...but like all those who see salvation, samsara, God, not all make it to the top the first time. Although a part of me is immensely sad about not being able to run for now, and yet another a bit panicked about how I will struggle once I DO come back, I do see some positive to all this. One of them being finding that other forms of exercise might be JUST what I need. So like a parent, the Universe, throws us these apparent misfortunes and we initially whine and kick and scream, but as time moves and we adjust we begin to see the wisdom behind it all. This pattern has happened over and over so many times in my life, I now know to blindly trust its path and recognize its pattern. So I will continue to accept change and welcome whatever comes down the pipe and have it help transform me into a stronger, more fearless human being.