7:05 pm
Yesterday afternoon I spent 50 minutes bitching and moaning to my therapist about my butt. Literally. It's a sore spot for me and I'm so freaking sick and tired of directing all my negative emotions, my stress and fear and anxiety, toward my tush. I mean, really? I'm 31 years old, write about body image for a living, lecture about my experience with anorexia and am STILL caring about cellulite on my ass? Embarrassing.
But a few hours later, driving home on Lakeshore Drive with my husband from a long day's work downtown, I spotted a figure running along Lake Michigan. Despite the filthy dirtyness of our '99 Cougar's windows, I spotted him, being showered with fat flurries and engulfed in temps had dropped about 50 degrees during the day, paving the way for an icy subzero evening. Through the snowflakes, I saw this man, probably in his 30s, running at a fast clip - outpacing traffic, actually. And this man had no legs.
He appeared to be a double-amputee and was wearing those carbon-fiber, prosthetic legs that resemble parentheses and fit over the knees. My jaw fell open as I watched. He was, in my eyes, the picture of strength, grace and determination. It was the high point of my day, seeing how amazing the human body/spirit can be.
It was also the low point of my day because it forced me to realize how royally f&*ked up my priorities are. A jiggly butt? I'm ashamed of myself.
"There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people." - Nike co-founder and track and field coach Bill Bowerman
Comments
I'm right there with you! I just spent the last 8 months of my life dealing with breast cancer, and now that the smoke has cleared, I am struggling with accepting my body how it is. I should just be happy I'm alive, and I'm whining about the rolls on my belly!
I'm glad I read this post today. I will think of that man running with carbon fiber legs--in the snow no less! :-)
great post Leslie! I often forget to be thankful for all that I do have vs. beating myself up for what I don't.
I remember seeing a woman on Oprah once who had been horribly disfigured somehow. My first thought, I'm ashamed to say, was "I would rather die than have to live looking that." But after watching the show where she talked about how loosing her looks actually freed her from caring how she looked and now her life was centered on learning and helping others in her community, I left thinking "What an amazing life! I wish I had her kind of courage." It is truly amazing what the human spirit can accomplish - in spite of our physical limitations. Thanks for the thoughtful start to my day, Leslie!
I greatly appreciate moments like the one you described because it's a humbling reality check.
I believe Bill Bowerman is the son or grandson of Bud Bowerman, track and field coach of the university in Eugene, Oregon back in 1966 or so and the coauthor (Dr. W. Harris) of the first booklet on Jogging. It was my inspirational bible in founding the first jogging organization in the U.S. called the Road Runners, which of course, you know of.
I was unaware, however, that Bill B. was a co founder of Nike....
Your blog is so informative and wonderful....oxoxoxo
I believe Bill Bowerman is the son or grandson of Bud Bowerman, track and field coach of the university in Eugene, Oregon back in 1966 or so and the coauthor (Dr. W. Harris) of the first booklet on Jogging. It was my inspirational bible in founding the first jogging organization in the U.S. called the Road Runners, which of course, you know of.
I was unaware, however, that Bill B. was a co founder of Nike....
Your blog is so informative and wonderful....oxoxoxo
oh my gosh, I love hearing stories like that. It actually gives me chills. The human spirit is truly AMAZING.
And this post is a great reminder to focus on what's really important. I think I'll go kiss my husband now :)
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