Credit where credit is due

So.

I'm reading the book "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It's really great. Several times she's said things that I want to write down to remember. Ya, so I haven't done that...just have to read it again sometime. Last night I was reading in bed and read something so great I quit reading so I could ponder it as I was going to sleep. I thought to myself it would make a perfect blog topic.

That was last night. Now it's morning, I don't have my glasses on, I haven't had my coffee yet and I can't find what got my motor running last night. I tried, but man without my glasses I can't even see the words! I don't like to wear my glasses when playing on the laptop. I know, weird. Deal with it. You know you love me just the way I am! I wanted to use the exact line that got me thinking. I will find it....later.

The crux of what I got from it was that I am rushing and not experiencing. I bet a lot of you are also.

We try to get from point A to point B as quickly as we can. We want to lose weight and be fit and we want it now. We don't like cutting calories or whatever we're doing, and most of us don't like exercising. We do it to get to point B. The healthy us.

I intend to slow the hell down and enjoy the ride more.

When I put healthy food into my body instead of crap, from now on I intend to think about it. Feel all the little nutrients speeding around and doing good things for my health. Allow myself to smile, to feel a sense of accomplishment.

When I'm exercising and things hurt and I'm a sweaty mess, I intend to bask in that glow. To thank God that I can do whatever it is I'm doing even if it causes me pain. Yes, my knees and hips hurt, but how much worse would it be if I sat on my fat ass all day long every day?

Enjoy the fact that I CAN do and not that I MUST do.

On the flip side, if I'm letting a bottle of wine slide down my throat chased by some decadent pasta in a cream sauce, I plan to revel in that also. Seize the moments. The big ones and the small ones. They all work together to make up my life. It's short. I want to get the most out of it!

I'm trying to get everything packed up, cleaned up, polished etc by tomorrow morning. We're moving on Thursday. OK, in theory, that's great. I'm doing this so our last days in the town I've spent my whole married life (32 years) in won't be rushed. Not only my whole married life, I spent every summer in this town all my life (almost 52 years). Lots of weekends also. We had a 'cottage' up here that was built before I was born. I always told my mom I was going to live up here. She said I couldn't...there were no jobs. I said I was going to marry rich. I just didn't know it was going to be his name!

I have no regrets about leaving this town. It served me well, but it's time to move on. I have no regrets about leaving my home. Again, it served me well. I have NO regrets about leaving my summer job. It's an awesome place to work, but I'm over working.

After reading whatever the hell it was that I read in the book last night, I realized that I've been working all summer toward tomorrow morning. Working to get it done, so I could be done. Man I'm glad I read that last night. I caught it in time. Today is my last day and I'd have rushed through it. Point A to point B. I caught it in time though, so today I shall bathe in the moment.

I'm enjoying my last cup of coffee as a working woman in Houghton Lake. After I publish this, I intend to shut the laptop down and sit with my coffee and my thoughts. Let them wash over me.

I'll be going to the Secretary of State today here. For the last time.

I'll be going to my post office here today. For the last time.

I'll be going to work at Buccilli's tonight at 4. For the last time.

I'll be packing more boxes today. Boxes of things that have never been out of my house. For the last time. They'll love their new home.

I shall carpe the diem for sure.

Today, more than ever people,

Peace be the journey

:-)

Addendum: I put my glasses on and found the line that started this ball rolling.

"Zen masters always say that you canot see your reflection in running water, only in still water."

Today, let me be still. Let me both see my reflection, and reflect.