Missing the Mark

 
"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary"
                                                                                                                      Edgar Allen Poe

Damien, one of my students in my speech class, was giving his demonstration speech on the proper way to shoot a free throw.  He brought the class outside to a nearby basketball court.  When he finished showing us the proper form, Damien asked for volunteers to come up to the free throw line and give it a try.  There was a silent moment, one student looking at another, and then Damien said..."Why doesn't the professor come up and show us how it's done."  "Crap!" I murmured to myself, "I don't want to stand up in front of these 24 youngsters and make a fool out of myself...but then I make a bigger fool of myself if I don't try it."  

I stood planted before the basket. Damien reminded me to make sure my hands were placed in just the right position and to bend my knees and use my legs. "O.K....I'm ready!" I shot the ball.  Oops.... it didn't even come within two feet of hitting the rim, much less the net.  Use your legs, I thought to myself.   I tried again...big fat air ball with no strength whatsoever behind it!  Mercifully another student came forward to relieve me....I went back with the group, feeling old and weak and weary.
 
I kept thinking about my poor performance and what a whimpy wet noodle I felt like .  I pouted around for weeks........poor me....old...old...old...me....my strength is fading away......After I finished my 'pity party' I made an announcement..... "I am going to, by golly, get enough strength in my arms to shoot a free throw!"

Well...I spoke those words back in the fall semester, and now we're well into the spring.  I still don't have enough strength to throw a boiled egg in the air.  My daughter tried to help by giving me some tips about doing some exercises like push-ups, lunges, squats...you know the strength training drill.  And the last time I went to visit her, she asked how I was doing with the exercises..  I sadly admitted that after trying it a few times, I gave up...I got a tweak in my knee after the first set of lunges!  I tried to forget about it......after all I've got arthritis and I might hurt myself...poor me..poor me.... poor, poor me...so weak and weary.

But a pesky little 'should' keeps pricking me with his sword. He reminds me that on my lists of musts is taking care of my health...and part of getting healthier means I should be trying to get stronger....That little 'should man' keeps whispering in my ear in his annoying little voice, "You should start working on getting stronger you know....you really should....you really should!!" 

Would you stop!!! I know I should.......I know I should.

Am I alone on this?  Anybody else out there feeling weak and weary?
If I could just manage to get motivated, and stay motivated to do some strength training exercises....maybe I could start out with something easy...

....and what do you know...sure enough.. I did.... I can't wait to share it with you next week.


Email: smallsteps4bigresults@yahoo.com