Give it a go! You never know?
Give it a go and you just might enjoy it!! Well maybe not the initial sore bum and falling off bit but everyone has to start somewhere. And if you never try you never know!!

I have a few friends, mainly girlfriends that ‘can’t ride a bike’, some can’t swim and some can’t drive a car. Perhaps it’s because I’m fiercely independent and I will give anything (well most things) a go that I can’t understand why people don’t learn or at least try.

I loathe computers and anything technical, it doesn’t interest me in the slightest but I have learnt, at least the basics. I know we are all different and we all like and dislike different things but … not to be able to swim?… That is a lifesaving ability. Saving your own life ability, would you not ‘try’ to learn the basics?

I suppose you don’t NEED to be able to ride a bike and you don’t NEED to be able to drive but it does give you a little more freedom in one way (the if you can afford it way).
I asked a friend once (male) why he didn’t want to learn to drive, he said it just didn’t interest him and he could get pretty much everywhere he wanted to go on public transport or get a lift. Fair do’s, it’s each to their own…..he couldn’t ride a bike either though, he ‘WALKED’. I know, I could hardly believe my ears either …..WALKING!!!!!

You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone!
A very true statement. We are all guilty of taking things for granted especially our health. The ability to get up in the morning, walk to bathroom, dress, sit and eat breakfast then off to work. It’s only when these abilities become harder or we loss them that we then realise what we had and what we have taken for granted.

I wonder if this is why I have gone into panic mode and am now desperately trying to regain some of my abilities that I have taken for granted and are now losing?

My back aches, my knees hurt, my intestines are in knots (not actual knots I don’t think), I have constant face ache (sinuses) and all because I haven’t looked after myself and have taken ‘health’ for granted.

Why do we do it, why did I do it?

Foresight is a wonderful thing BUT so is listening. I know the ‘experts’ don’t always get it right but in the main they do. There is a ton of information out there right at our finger tips that we simply chose ignore. We know about over consumption, fatty foods, sugary foods, etc, but still we shovel as much of it as possible into our gaping gluttonous mouths and worry about the consequences later, much later, sometimes much too later.

Over Used?
We drive from A to B without even getting out of our body extension of a car.

I agree, the car is an invaluable asset we have the technology and ability to own and operate BUT do we really need to be welded to the seat?! It seems that unless our car is physically attached to us we lose the ability to breath and function.

Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t be without my work horse of a van BUT I know I use it out of habit and laziness…….. ‘I haven’t got time so I will just nip in the car and will be back in 5 minutes’…. is my favourite excuse for not walking or cycling.

Car = Gain the ability to park as close as possible to the school entrance/supermarket/corner shop without actually driving through the front door because crikey if you have to park more than 100 yards away you might as well have walked from your house which is 200 yards away.

Car = Drive through fast food (can’t very well walk through it can you!) = don’t have to expel any energy collecting your premade fat filled lunch = park in car park outside ‘fast food’ place to stay sat in your car devouring your prize.

Car = sat in traffic jams, frustration at other drivers (because obviously you drive perfectly).

Car = money drain, money for lessons, test, car, insurance, tax, fuel, parking, repairs, mot, etc.

Don’t restrict yourself
Give it a go, give anything and everything a go, obviously assessing the risk factor first! Even I’m not going to go bungee jumping without the ‘bungee’!!

Being obese, I know I have restricted myself without really thinking about it. I used to go and watch rugby but feared the turnstile. My dread would be that one day I would get stuck in it. My blubber would get jammed in the gate and the fire brigade would have to come and cut me out.  I’d prefer to use the disabled entrance as it was wider. It’s just a little thing but a big thing at the same time.

How many pairs of jeans would I go through!? When I say go through I mean just that. My inner thighs rubbed together that much I would ware holes in them in no time. I wore long tops thinking they covered more of me but the long tops also gave me the opportunity to still be able to wear the thigh holed jeans without anyone being able to see they were torn.

I used to absolutely love swimming but as the weight piled on I went less and less and eventually stopped going. ‘Stopped going swimming’!! The only thing in my life I was doing right and I stopped doing it because I was (and still am a little) glutton.

The self restricting list goes on and the list will be different for different people. Life can be restrictive enough without us adding to it. Over weight people do miss out on things BUT it is our own fault that we do.

Embarrassed
As a kid I hated school and found reading and write a great struggle. I was always embarrassed when asked to read aloud because I couldn’t. I would keep my head down (preferably under the table) and be as quiet and inconspicuous as possible so as not to draw attention to myself in the hope I wouldn’t be asked any questions….. BUT… as soon as I was out of that classroom … lead me to the sports field!!!

Out of the classroom I was probably the loudest and most enthusiastic when it came to sport. I loved anything to do with sport and running around. Rounds, netball, hockey, judo, squash, athletics, swimming, anything that was going on to do with sport I was there. Loved it. I only went to school for the sport ….. and the fear of my mother if I hadn’t gone!!!

Even in my own home on my own I would be embarrassed to exercise. I’d lay on the floor and attempt to do sit ups. I don’t know if simply lifting your head off the floor is considered a sit up but it certainly was for me (and still is).

Blinking Nora!! The effort that went into,
1 psyching myself up to attempt a sit up
2 getting to the floor
3 how long do I lay here with my hands behind my head thinking about ‘going of it’
4 Aaarrghhhh, ‘I think that was a sit up’!! well my head came up!
5 lay there for an eternity before rolling onto my front to start the arduous task of standing up!!

What a prat, I’d give the ‘sit up’ a couple of goes then just lay there, defeated and pathetic. You fat lump of lard, you are a disgrace, how could you, why would you, you fat waste of space, you greedy gluttonous pig (found a second thing I am good at… self deprecation).

A head full
I don’t really know what the main point of today’s blog is. I’ve rambled on even more than usual. I’ve had snippets and flashes of memories and ideas today so they’ve been noted down as they came to mind. Proves my laziness, I can’t even be bothered to sort out my thoughts and put them into some sort of order.

I will go into each though in greater details when i have sorted them out but for now …..

….waffle done, im boring myself and I can’t clear my head of rambling.

Thank you for reading
Never stop learning
Jo x