Category — Letters To The Babies

Childhood is passing. Adolescence is in full swing. But worst of all, so are school dances. T-One had her first experience yesterday with a school dance. And reports have it she had to endure the advances of at least five different boys who wanted the honor of escorting to the after school affair. It is no surprise to me she is popular. She’s got the 3 G’s: gorgeousness, greatness and gregariousness. And I’m not at all nervous about the boys sniffing around her. They know I carry a big stick. But I must admit I’m a little dispirited.

As she shopped her closet for dresses and bemoaned, “I have nothing to wear”, all I could think about was how she won’t be dancing with dad anymore. Yeah, maybe I’ll get a few more in at her sweet 16, and possibly her wedding, but from here on, those dances will be few and far between.

*Sigh*

But instead of feeling sorry for myself (woe is me) I’ve decided to dance with her while I can. And, if I play my cards right, down the line when she’s “all grow’d up”, maybe every now again she’ll throw her old man a bone and let me cut a rug with her.

Metcon (endurance):
Row (Concept II): 5:00 on, 2:30 off, 6:00 on, 3:00 off, 7:00 on

This girl has so much confidence. I wish I had half of what she has. I could learn from her. Confidence is such a big part of our success in life.

I often tell the girls, speak up! Folks tend to believe and respect those who speak with confidence. I hope they will remember that as they get older. Seems they’re off to a great start.

I am baffled why you put yourself through this. I do not know why you insist on putting yourself through the mental torture. Why is it even a part of your life? It never tells you exactly what you want to hear. And it’s likely you’ve answered for yourself before you even ask it the dreaded question.

Am I fat?

You don’t know it but what a ridiculous question. And the only reason you’re asking is because you think you are fat. No matter what number pops up on that scale, it will not convince you otherwise. Whether the number that pops up is “high” or “low”, you will see the phrase “big fat fatty”. But don’t confuse this for chatizing. I don’t blame you for asking a silly question. I don’t even blame you for your self-defeating self-perception. You been conditioned.

Throughout your life, you’ve been sent subliminal and overt messages by a plethara of sources; movies, magazines, your girlfriends, your mother, your rabbi, your coach and I’m sure many other well meaning but ignorant folk. Their message to you has been you should be obsessed with your weight. These messages even go as far as to have you believe your self-worth is inversely correlated to the number that shows up on the scale. The smaller the number on the scale the better the person you are. But let me let you in on a little secret. The number on that scale, no matter what it says, is a crock of shit! And the question, “Am I fat?”, that prompts you to step on to such an abominable device in the first place is a bigger crock of shit.

STOP! [Read more →]

You exist in the subconscious without opposition. It’s but a quick trip to the tongue, where you roll off with ease. And with no real impediment, you penetrate the minds of those within earshot. But the utterance of you is not even necessary. You seep from the pores of those who let you live in them. You hang in the air like a foul stench. A simple waving of the hand in front of our nose doesn’t always rid you. You are resilient. You are very convincing. So much “evidence” proves you right. And before any of us know it, we are a slave to you.

To jump, to run, to improve, to love, to live, to earn, to forgive, to forget, to change. You will convince us none of this is within our grasp. To be intelligent, to recover, to heal, to be strong, to let ourselves cry, to take risk, to be happy, to be extraordinary. You will keep us from a life fulfilled if we allow you. [Read more →]

Source: Flickr by aftab

Hey babies,

I just had a thought about something. I wanted to share it with you today. You may not understand it now but I want you to remember it. It might make more sense when you get older. It’s about rules. I know you guys don’t like rules for the most part. But rules are very important to us all. For instance, it’s a rule that you should look both ways before you cross the street. That’s a very good rule and one you should always follow.

Here is what you should know about rules. [Read more →]