Time Marches...

by Drew Bankston

Time marches and I will be soon! This week has been pretty incredible. We’ve had some warm days near eighty degrees, and today it’s snowing. Life is a constant surprise. I used to think that life was filled with surprises, but then I realized that it’s just one big surprise that keeps getting better each day that I open my eyes and smile.

It’s important that we cherish every wonderful moment that we can. Last week, I told you about an upcoming event that is, for me, a childhood dream come true. Being chosen to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an excitement that I can only compare to going to Disneyland.One piece of advice that the committee has given us is to “Get in your Steps” while stating that each parade participant will be taking around 5,000 steps during the course of the parade. I walk a great deal during each of my days, and so I thought that I was prepared. Lately, I’ve thought more about getting in shape all over and about what I need to do to get there. Now, I’m the kind of person that many people envy. I can eat just about anything and not gain weight. It’s a genetic thing, I think. Because of that, I just assume that I’m always in good shape, but the other night when I decided to begin a workout routine, I received a startling realization. I couldn’t do those 100 push-ups and sit-ups that used to come so easy. It was at that point I decided that I needed to have my expectations of myself come face-to-face with my realities. It was an ego bruiser to realize that I was no longer the fit and trim person I thought myself to be and that I needed to throttle back my work-outs to reflect where I am now. I’m starting slow and working my way back to where I remember being, and what a joy it will be when I get there!

So working toward that 5,000 steps in addition to regaining the core strength that I used to be so proud of is a priority in my life now.

The parade committee sent an Email this week talking to us about the credentials that we’ll need for getting into the parade, which made the excitement of the upcoming event even more real. I am picturing myself as fit and trim for the event, and I know that I’ll reach that goal. At least, I’ll be more fit and trim than I am now and much more pleased with myself, which is the overall goal.We can’t just reminisce about the old days and about how we used to do this and that. That’s not good enough for me. I want to be able to say, “This is what I can do now” and be proud of whatever that is. When I talk about what I used to do, I want that to be a stepping stone to where I am today and not a point of bragging about past glories. Our lives need to progress and get better, no matter what our circumstances. Our current events need to be things that we can talk about while holding our heads high. I’m getting there and I know that you all can as well. Strive to make your life better each day and down the road, you can brag about each day’s accomplishments with pride, and maybe even march in a parade without tiring out!