Life is Like a Treadmill

It was raining this morning, so instead of walking outside like I usually do, I jumped on the treadmill. When I say "jumped," I really mean stepped on. There is a small but really nice fitness center in our apartment complex. So there I was, singing along to "I Thought About the Army" and thinking some deep thoughts.

The first thing I thought was how good it is I have a job where I interact with both my colleagues and customers, because it takes me out of my head. I am inside my head a lot. You, as a reader, are also inside my head.

The second thing I thought about is how blessed I am to have a fitness center to use, one that is right here where I live. And how convenient it was to put my clothes in the washer in our complex's laundry room, then hop over to the fitness center. When I say "hop," I really mean walk.

The third thing I thought about is how life is like a treadmill. When I walk outside, I go around my neighborhood, or I head over to say hello to the Pacific Ocean. I go somewhere. On the treadmill, I am moving but going no where. Does life ever seem that way to you? Like you are going no where fast? You are walking or joggng or running or just trudging along. It seems like nothing is happening, but something is happening all the time. Behind the scenes of your life, and inside of you. Just like me on the treadmill. Maybe it seemed like I was going no where, but I was sweating and my heart muscle was working, and tomorrow morning when I get up, my other muscles will tell me something happened.

The fourth thing I thought of is how I should share this super fun song with you, performed in an even super funner way. And when I say "funner," I mean more fun.

Susan

"Army" written by Ben Folds

From Sea to Shining Sea

My commute to and from work and school is along Highway 101, which runs parallel to the beautiful Pacific Ocean. With Pink's sun roof open and my window down, I can smell the salty air. I also can easily walk to the beach from my home. Occasionally we even have a random sea gull who comes to my apartment complex to check out the dumpsters. It is hard to have a bad day when you start it by saying "Good Morning" to the ocean.

Growing up in one of the landlocked mid-Atlantic states, I never even saw an ocean until I was in my 20's. In elementary school, we sang Katharine Lee Bates' "America the Beautiful." Our little voices would ring out, "And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining seeeeeeeeea!"

One day as I was driving along, the sun was shining brightly on the ocean, and it hit me: that's a shining sea. It really does shine, from the reflection of the sun or the moon if the moon is bright enough at night.

I have a great life.

Susan