Today Is Life. Tomorrow Never Comes. ( Graffiti on Crete Hillside )

Philadelphia

I have been conspicuously absent in the past week. Let me explain.

As those of you who are regular readers know, I have two major goals this year: writing consistently with publishing as the desired outcome; and, running the New York Marathon on November 5. A perfect medley or mind/body, yin/yang. You get the picture.

This blog is one step toward the writing goal, along with coursework at NYU, a writing coach, and a writing group--all begun sometime after January 1, 2006. It requires me to continue to write, write, write and listen to those who I have decided to work with toward my goal.The New York Marathon goal requires my body to function optimally. My body isn't 25 anymore, so I have the usual aches and pains associated with aging joints. But the real rub comes from sports activities over the past five decades. Especially skiing. I have two herniated discs due to falls on Killington one icy winter afternoon when I was hot dogging. The third area of concern is my right hip which is literally shorter than my left which makes me a little uneven -- and, the experts say, that I compensate for that shortness in ways that cause me pain. Well, I decided to do something about the pain before I began training for the marathon in earnest.

Five physical therapy sessions later, I'm still in pain although it's moving. But it has put me in a funk. What if, I conjecture, I can't run the marathon? What if, I worry, I can't get my mileage up between now and November? What if, I stew, I have to walk some of the way?

The PT said : "No running. No swimming. No biking. Just walk. And do the exercises I gave you every single day." This guy has the people skills of Dick Cheney, but he comes highly recommended. So, I'm here in Pa., in a funk. I'm watching way too much TV. ( What would you like to know about all the presidents since Washington according to the History Channel?) And virtually hibernating--in the middle of my favorite season, summer.

Today, the pain subsided ( as did the rain, another funk-producer ). I went swimming and sat by the pool. I won't know until tomorrow if the swimming was a good idea for my body or not. Believe me, you'll be the first to know.

So, today, I went for "life" just like the Cretan who wrote the graffiti I saw last month near Iraklion Pain of no pain, I know he's right.