I got to chatting today with a woman. By the end of the conversation I found her to be so inspiring. I really love when occurances like that come to me. I have met some really wonderful people here so far. And I know that I am repeating myself by typing that. But I mean it, like this woman at the Welcome Center desk. She is always terribly enthusiastic and cheerful whenever I go in there. I don’t know her very well, but there is something in the way we smile at each other that makes me feel like we do. In our chat this morning she told me about how she startes running and she is surprised by how much she likes it. It got me thinking about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Or it may be better put to say, “when simple things are substantial. It is so envigorating to do things you think you can’t do. That is what makes it extraordinary. And that is what I thought about this morning.
This woman seemed a touch self-depricating. For instance, when she speaks of her age, she’ll say she’s fifty. But really she is turning 49. I can relate to that. I was calling myself thirty well before my 30th birthday. Anyway, I was in the lobby reading an article on Madonna. (who B.T.W. is 53!) And that steared my friend and I into a conversation about her new fitness habits. She just started to exercise. She says lately she had begun to feel unhealthy. She mentioned to a coworker how she wished she could run. And the coworker simply replied, “you can.” My friend disagreed. The coworker insisted she try it. And she said, “Don’t try to run any certain distance. Just do it until you need to stop. And then build on it.” So that’s what my friend has been doing for two weeks, and she loves it. She claims to already be addicted to getting out every morning. She is so stoked she wants to run a 5K on her birthday, already! Her birthday is February 11. And what I find even more remarkable about it is where we live. It’s February, dark until 8 o’clock, and -15 degrees celcius! She even jogs in the rain or snow. I thought her story was wonderful. I feel a sense of accomplishment just getting out of bed, it is so cold. She is a prime example of self-perpetuated motivation. the more she does it, the more she loves it. And the bonus is she feels good inside and out. Her phone rang and that is where our conversation ended.
As I went back to my article I overheard her talking to another aquaintance who walked up to her desk. My friend was chatting with her about the play she is in. I couldn’t belive it. Not only was this woman picking up running as a hobby, but she was also starring in her first play, at 49. I was really impressed then. I am inspired to go see the play, now that I know she is in it. I laughed as I heard her say, “I don’t even know my lines. I don’t think I ever will. But that’s OK. I am more than ready to adlib. That’s what I do at rehearsal and it’s good.”
I wanted to steal this woman, shrink her, and put her on my shoulder. Because I know that every time I got nervous, or depressed, or just plain negative she’d be able to turn it around for me. Due to the impossibility of this task I, instead, put her in my memory. But I put her in the front and I will use her as soon as I need to.
As a woman I take great comfort and pride in the success of other women. My gender continues to inspire me.
This woman seemed a touch self-depricating. For instance, when she speaks of her age, she’ll say she’s fifty. But really she is turning 49. I can relate to that. I was calling myself thirty well before my 30th birthday. Anyway, I was in the lobby reading an article on Madonna. (who B.T.W. is 53!) And that steared my friend and I into a conversation about her new fitness habits. She just started to exercise. She says lately she had begun to feel unhealthy. She mentioned to a coworker how she wished she could run. And the coworker simply replied, “you can.” My friend disagreed. The coworker insisted she try it. And she said, “Don’t try to run any certain distance. Just do it until you need to stop. And then build on it.” So that’s what my friend has been doing for two weeks, and she loves it. She claims to already be addicted to getting out every morning. She is so stoked she wants to run a 5K on her birthday, already! Her birthday is February 11. And what I find even more remarkable about it is where we live. It’s February, dark until 8 o’clock, and -15 degrees celcius! She even jogs in the rain or snow. I thought her story was wonderful. I feel a sense of accomplishment just getting out of bed, it is so cold. She is a prime example of self-perpetuated motivation. the more she does it, the more she loves it. And the bonus is she feels good inside and out. Her phone rang and that is where our conversation ended.
As I went back to my article I overheard her talking to another aquaintance who walked up to her desk. My friend was chatting with her about the play she is in. I couldn’t belive it. Not only was this woman picking up running as a hobby, but she was also starring in her first play, at 49. I was really impressed then. I am inspired to go see the play, now that I know she is in it. I laughed as I heard her say, “I don’t even know my lines. I don’t think I ever will. But that’s OK. I am more than ready to adlib. That’s what I do at rehearsal and it’s good.”
I wanted to steal this woman, shrink her, and put her on my shoulder. Because I know that every time I got nervous, or depressed, or just plain negative she’d be able to turn it around for me. Due to the impossibility of this task I, instead, put her in my memory. But I put her in the front and I will use her as soon as I need to.
As a woman I take great comfort and pride in the success of other women. My gender continues to inspire me.
