3.03.2006

A Rough-Hewn Kind of Life

On New Beginnings and Finding a Guru...

If you've read some of my past articles you might remember that for a few years I was an upholsterer...You know, creating and repairing all types of furniture, stuff like that.
It was probably the least glamorous job that I've ever had or could ever want, but the life-lessons that I learned from that job were invaluable and I think back to those times on a daily basis, nearly.

One of these life-lessons learned from upholstery that I've been pondering lately is that everything and every-one can have a new beginning and often all that new beginning needs is time and attention, patience and love.



Just like the rocking chair that sits in the middle of our living room with multiple layers of different colors of paint showing through the surface where time and use have worn down the appearance, lop-sided and tweaked from one-too-many well-intentioned repairs and upgrades, and a markedly lazy comfortablity acheived only by years and years of remaining the same by changing as necessary to accomodate every new person that wanted to take advantage of it's simple design...Lennon and McCartney said "I am the Walrus", Simon and Garfunkel said "I am a Rock"...I guess what I'm saying is that I am a Rocking Chair.



Except that I don't want to remain, I want to improve.
Over the past few months I've found a renewed energy and personal drive to become a better version of myself. And rather than adding more layers onto who I've been; I've found that I'm beggining to chip away at the layers that have come to be me and I'm finding out what I look like when all of the pretention is removed...Physically, Mentally and Spiritually.
I've been asking "What does it all mean?" for so long that I've forgotten what I wanted to know, or why it was important in the first place.

This
is what it all means. This. Life. At least that's what I've found works for me.

At it's grittiest and most surreal I'm finding that life happens everyday, all over the world, and all I have to do is decide which life I want to be mine. I guess that sounds simple, and maybe it is, but I love that simplicity...It's freeing.
In allowing the sandpaper and chisel of grace and time to develop me into something new; I'm finding out that life isn't really as complicated as I thought it was...it's just as complicated as I made it...and sometimes it takes a new perspective and a little bit of polish to bring out that new creation that I, we, are longing to be.

Since Lindsay and I became adventurers like Lewis and Clark recently (except in the exact-opposite direction) and have made our new home in Colorado; we have been making small changes in our personal lives too...You know how it goes "New House = New Rules"...
Except for us it's "New Lives = New Rules".


A big way that I've determined to change my life is that I decided to apply to a medical school so that I could get an Associates of Science Degree in Ophthalmology, which is a really big word to cover the very big field of medicine involving the mirror of the soul...



The first part of my application and testing is over now and I'm happy to tell you that as of this past Friday I did in fact get into the school and class begins on April 11th of this year...YES!

One of the small ways that I've been pushing myself to be a better me is by changing my mentality toward being healthy.


I've always been a sort-of-healthy person, but only because I've never really had to work for it, not that the health that I've enjoyed necessarily parlayed into a strong body or a high-tolerance for lenghty workouts...But that too must change and so I set out to embrace and encourage my physical health in much the same way that I, at one time, embraced and encouraged my spiritual health...

I sought a Mentor, a Guru...I found two.




Matthew McConaughey says "Sometimes you can get the body in shape, and the head ain't in great shape. But it's real nice if you can co-ordinate 'em"...And his motto is simple "Just Keep Livin'"...I'm tryin' bro, I'm tryin'!




In a recent interview with Jason Statham in Men's Health magazine he said "I'm a firm believer in attitude, some people just don't have that desire and they need a good kick in the ass. Look, you've come to train here, let's f--king train! Your body's like a piece of dynamite, you can tap it with a pencil all day but, you'll never make it explode. You hit it once with a hammer, BANG!"

So, I'm doing it...


I'm taking my vitamins and dietary supplements...


Working out every morning and sometimes in the evenings too, as well as going for long hikes in the hills behind our house...


I'm drinking enough water to fill a swimming pool and eating healthier than I ever have, which means that I'm feeling healthier than I ever have and I'm seeing actual results! Not only have I lost some belly, I've probably gained about 10 pounds of muscle; which means that I can actually see a six-pack poking through the dough.

Sweet. This feels good.
all words badly drawn ben ©