Working Out Motherhood

One of those choices I need to make more than once a week is whether or not go to the gym. I never regret a workout, and I always regret losing time with my children, which happens when I go to the gym. It's difficult. Sometimes I go home and the older children are out with friends. I always get toddler attention - something I love, and I know these toddler-era days are numbered.

The New York Times published a column including a graphic for a 7-Minute workout . High Intensity Circuit Training (HICT) is effective. I will read the column and the graphic several times and think about doing this workout as I realize it is very good for me. Should I attempt it, my sons will be encouraged to try it with me. I will remember to do this workout at least twice. "It's not the person who fails, it's the exercise program that fails,", is a comment I have seen many times. "What's your excuse?" is another comment I see often. I acknowledge that I don't want to do it, rather than make an excuse, and also acknowledge my responsibility in adopting a new workout, which over time, becomes boring, than abandoned.

Yet, here's the thing ... as said in the beginning, I never regret a workout. Even when I have to push myself, or perform poorly, I do not walk away feeling terrible. Whatever I get physically from time in the gym is nothing compared to how I feel mentally when the exercise is over. Workouts and general healthy living benefits my mind. If I feel stress or anxiety, I am a worse person in every way, especially as a mother.

The most recent time I made the choice to skip the gym was correct. Everyone was home and not busy. I had a book discussion with one child, discussed a pending school project with another, and got the usual toddler time. I watched them all play outside and devise plans to avoid the light rain that started while they were playing. I witnessed sweet moments in time that will never happen again. Sure, we will have other good times in the future, but it is better to focus on the present.

And the future? It will include hikes, bike rides, swimming, and general adventure. We discovered long ago that the best way to keep children away from media is to get outside as often as possible, and we do this every free weekend. How will I keep up with the children? Guess I better get to the gym!

Thank you, gentlemen

While I focus on using smart words online, it's easy to forget how spoken words have consequences too. We have the benefit of performance when we speak, but how we present ourselves, I'm certain, is never perceived accurately.

Last year, I walked near a construction site. It was hot out, and I was the only person that day who dared to walk in the midday sun ("that's for mad dogs and Englishmen" a colleague reminds me,) when I heard a loud voice from the constructions site, "HEY, watch your language. Look what we got walking here!Well, I thought, that must be me. "YEAH," shouted another construction worker, "We got a lady here."

I do not know what the offending speaker said. I was safely thinking my own thoughts, unaware of the world around and not interested in what anyone else had to say at the time. This outburst of chivalry made me uncomfortable, and I picked up my steps and got back to where I needed to be. What DID that man say to encourage his co-workers to scold him? Was it really so terrible?

By the end of my walk, I decided the event was funny. It was ninety degrees out, I was wearing a black cardigan, any make-up I applied that day wore off, my glasses were snug on my face, hiding any trace of interest ... and someone called me a lady. Thanks for the laugh guys!

"Look what we got walking here!"

Images, Maria Sibylla Merian

Art allows us to live outside of a moment. I failed to find a copyright free image from nature artist Maria Sibylla Merian, so instead I will share my search link to her work. These images are familiar to me - I'm sure I saw her work at an early age - and maybe my view of nature is inspired by her collections. Other than the appearance of insects, the subject of the work includes nature without a heartbeat.

Several drafts sit in my list of posts. I'm not sure when I will get to them, but I remain inspired by the increase in visits to this site. If you keep visiting, I will have more posts to offer. I would love to tell you that I have been too busy to think of my blog, but instead, I've devoted extra time to reading - print, ebooks, blogs and news headlines.

Stay tuned.

We should plant Mayflowers this weekend....

Photo by Bob Embleton via Wikimedia Commons

Staying in the Moment

Easter weekend involved a trip to the Great Falls National Park. It was a lovely day, and the park is well-preserved. A wooden boardwalk on one of the trails is there to keep us humans off the ecosystem - a serious preservation effort that all park visitors respect.

Upon entering one of the trails, I thought I was visiting Middle Earth. The area was clean and unblemished like a scene in a movie. In another area of the trail, I expected to see a spaceship burst out of the water, inspired, I'm sure, by some other movie.

"If I associate everything I see on this trail to a movie, I asked myself, "am I really living in the moment?" The question was answered with an equally gentle "no,"and for the rest of the trip, I did not think of any media and observed the trees, rocks, and water. I decided not to be interested in the blue herons or ducks on this hike. It was only the parts of nature without a heartbeat that held my focus.

Staying in the moment is a concept I read about online. Cyberspace is a nice place to give and receive unsolicited advice. I have yet to hear that comment from a live human in a face-to-face conversation, probably because in the company of others, we are living in the present.

It is fun, and perhaps easier, to live outside of a moment. Events of our past can guide us in the decisions we make today. The trick is to determine if living outside of the moment is helpful. When you hike on a trail, thinking of unrelated media events is useless. When helping someone with a problem, considering a moment from the past that resolved the same problem is useful.

My intent at the start of The Strength of Words, over one year ago, was to help encourage people to consider their word choices before publishing them online. Now, although that is still important, it is also a good idea to doubt everything you read online too, including whatever you read on this blog. It is so easy for me to tell you what to do, because if you read this when you are most vulnerable, you are likely to agree with me. And really, who am I to tell you how to live your life? You should go outside.

Nevertheless, you are always invited to stop by and doubt everything I say, anytime.

Resistance is ....

Google Reader shall end, and you will accept this. Image created by Farmerton

What is worth saving? A modest online protest over the end of Google Reader has my attention because it is one of the few services I used back when I resisted more popular forms of social media. I liked Google Reader, and over time, forgot to visit. Instead, I use Blogger, though I've read the real goal behind the end of Google Reader is to encourage more people to use Google+. As long as my information needs and interests are met, I'm not concerned about delivery.

Why do people want to hold on to services that no longer serve? You don't have to answer, and truly, I've read enough about cognitive dissonance to understand that people don't like change. But when better options are available, there is no need to stay loyal. It's just technology, and it doesn't care.

Spring arrives this week. This year, I will once again attempt to grow a garden. I will employ a resistance-is-futile approach to my efforts. Every year, my only obstacle is an inability to remember that I want a garden. I forget to water everything. Reminders on my phone will help me. Subscribing to garden sites in my Blogger account should also help. Some urban legend suggests that if I state my goal publically, I'm more likely to achieve it. We shall see.

Two Quick Trips to the Capitol

Statue of Freedom, Visitor Center, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.

Pre-sequester, a trip to the United States Capitol was scheduled to take place post-sequester. I was certain our leaders would reach an agreement by then.

In the early 2000's, an underground visitor center was created on the east side of the building, and it's a nice place to wait for your tour. Inside, a full-sized plaster model for the Statue of Freedom is on display and you can look at is as long as you need to, which is probably more time than you can spend looking at the same bronze statue that sits on top of the Capitol dome.

While touring the building, it was troubling to think that the leaders of the United States, who have the great privilege of being elected to serve the nation in these opulent and lovely surroundings, could not create a solution to avoid the sequester. I am reminded of something and old friend once told me, "Life," she said, "...is High School." Indeed.

The furloughs and job losses that are a direct result of the sequester cause the greatest concern. Real people losing work and wages hurt the economy, charities, and local governments. However, the last thing I want to do in this space is generalize about a serious problem based on web-surfing and headline browsing. The people I choose follow on social media and in person are optimists. They know how to survive, and they find a way to work with adversity.

Exactly one week after the trip to the Capitol, I returned to Washington, this time to film a simple wedding ceremony held at the District of Columbia World War Memorial, a simple structure dedicated to the citizens of the Capitol who fought in World War I.

Wedding, District of Columbia War Memorial

Life goes on, no matter what happens in Congress. Maybe the weddings will be smaller. What we need will become more important than what we want. Less will be acquired, and we will still find joy and fun when we can. We can all live with that.

A Spike in Visitors and No New Post

Interesting - I've seen a small jump in visitors to my blog. One thing that drives me crazy is when I discover a new blog and then wait one day, two, days, then weeks for a new post.

During the month of February, I am taking a cataloging class at Library Juice Academy. Although I have no time to take a class, I am doing this for two reasons: 1) I need to refresh my memory on cataloging standards, and need to do this among a group of peers and not by myself - I have been a solo Librarian for six years and miss the comradeship of like-minded colleagues. 2) I recently reviewed my resume and it looked sad. The past ten years have been devoted to my personal life more than the professional life, and those ten years moved by quickly - it's time to reshape the less reactionary part of my brain.

The only story in the news that is of interest to me this week is the retraction of the telework policy by the current leader of Yahoo Yes, creativity may take a front seat now that everyone will be forced to share physical workspaces, but I think the new policy is a crafty way to eliminate employees without actually terminating them. Do you think all employees will stay with the company? Well, good luck to Yahoo! Perhaps this new policy will work, or perhaps a new C.E.O will be appointed soon.

Once class is over; I will resume a weekly posting schedule. Thank you for stopping by!