Now that school is out and summer is here I started riding my bike to work yesterday. I write about this here not to brag or to be more environmental-than-thou, but to commit myself. It’s much harder to back out when you have made a public declaration.
I have been saying I will ride my bike to work in the summer for two years now and it has not happened. I even tried to talk myself out of it on Sunday night; I was sore and thought I should let myself rest up a bit. I live less than a mile from my office so this is not some type of huge burden I am placing upon myself.
It comes down to this, I either need to stop making excuses and start pedaling, or I need to shut up and stop claiming I care. I can’t have it both ways. Either I care about reducing petroleum consumption or I don’t. Either I care about living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding my family’s pattern of heart disease or I don’t. Either I reject the modern day ethic that values more and bigger above all or I respect the value of simplicity.
I realize most of you reading this drive to work and you may have good reasons for doing so. I would if I still lived 10 miles away from the office and I will drive again in the winter. This is not a blanket proclamation or accusation; it is something I feel like I need to do to live in accordance with my values.
From a health point of view, this program locks me in. I am a horribly inconsistent exerciser, but it is much harder to put it off when it means that I have to get my husband up early to take me to work (we are a one-car family) and at the end of the day I pretty much have to exercise in order to get home. Making exercise a necessity instead of a choice may be the way to get me to stick with it.
Showing posts with label health care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health care. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Forward Momentum
It feels like things are finally moving forward around here. Maybe it's just spring, but it feels good.
Health Care Reform, while far from perfect, has finally passed. The ugly limbo of the past nine months made me want to bury my head in the sand sometimes. Now that it is passed, we can work on other things. I can only hope the momentum of this victory propels us all to take on other problems. Big problems, let's think big.
On the personal side, I was handed a big setback at work two months ago, but then no actions or resolutions came about. This aimless treading water took a toll on my morale. Once I was no longer angry, but anxious to move forward and start contributing again, progress starting making those baby steps. Now it looks like those steps are finally speeding up. (I am loving the metaphors this evening apparently.) I am eager to get past this transition and just focus on the work again. It felt good to finally be able to let a few co-workers know this afternoon. Humiliating, but in a good way.
I've still got a lot to be grateful for:
~ Health Care Reform
~ I still have a job
~ I still have my salary so
~ I can still make my house payment and feed my kids
~ My family is healthy all at the same time for once
~ Graciousness & sensitivity of old and new bosses
~ Husband who is still proud of me even when I am not, and who is currently making me tea
It's time to kick myself in the butt and spring forward!
Health Care Reform, while far from perfect, has finally passed. The ugly limbo of the past nine months made me want to bury my head in the sand sometimes. Now that it is passed, we can work on other things. I can only hope the momentum of this victory propels us all to take on other problems. Big problems, let's think big.
On the personal side, I was handed a big setback at work two months ago, but then no actions or resolutions came about. This aimless treading water took a toll on my morale. Once I was no longer angry, but anxious to move forward and start contributing again, progress starting making those baby steps. Now it looks like those steps are finally speeding up. (I am loving the metaphors this evening apparently.) I am eager to get past this transition and just focus on the work again. It felt good to finally be able to let a few co-workers know this afternoon. Humiliating, but in a good way.
I've still got a lot to be grateful for:
~ Health Care Reform
~ I still have a job
~ I still have my salary so
~ I can still make my house payment and feed my kids
~ My family is healthy all at the same time for once
~ Graciousness & sensitivity of old and new bosses
~ Husband who is still proud of me even when I am not, and who is currently making me tea
It's time to kick myself in the butt and spring forward!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Keillor in a Teapot
I was going to post on Garrison Keillor's recent article, but I find that plenty has already been published. Paul Oakley's take on the subject is well worth reading.
Keillor should focus on his own church rather than worrying about what other people sing in theirs, but I still like him. I loved his book Homegrown Democrat. Right now, I am way too mad at members of the religious right for using the name of God to host a "prayer cast" against health care and taxes to get to riled up about Keillor. I didn't care for his article, but it is a pretty minor deal compared to people preaching that God Allmightly is calling on us to resist health care reform. I guess all those Christians in every other developed country in the world must feel pretty stupid now. Now we've shown them that the free health care they enjoy is the work of Satan.
Such a digusting and blatant abuse of religion is such a disgrace that I can't get worked up about the words to "Silent Night". I'm just going to continue to pay outrageous health premiums and sign Christmas carols however I please.
Keillor should focus on his own church rather than worrying about what other people sing in theirs, but I still like him. I loved his book Homegrown Democrat. Right now, I am way too mad at members of the religious right for using the name of God to host a "prayer cast" against health care and taxes to get to riled up about Keillor. I didn't care for his article, but it is a pretty minor deal compared to people preaching that God Allmightly is calling on us to resist health care reform. I guess all those Christians in every other developed country in the world must feel pretty stupid now. Now we've shown them that the free health care they enjoy is the work of Satan.
Such a digusting and blatant abuse of religion is such a disgrace that I can't get worked up about the words to "Silent Night". I'm just going to continue to pay outrageous health premiums and sign Christmas carols however I please.
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