Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Roads

I'm an emotional eater. When my emotions are even-keeled or on top of the mountain, it's easy to eat what I need. But when I fall down that valley, I struggle to climb my way out. It's probably not a "valley" as much as it is a ditch. You know, those engravings in the earth along our roadways that catch the rain water, garbage from cars, and grow weeds. When I get in a funky mood like Sunday, it feels like I have fallen into one of those ditches, yuck!

Surprisingly, sometimes all it takes for me to get out of that ditch is get up on the roadway or have someone pull me out of the ditch to the road. Hubby did that for me on Sunday. He said, "OK, get in the car, we're going for a ride." :) I'm smiling just thinking of it! We got in the car, took a Texas map & went over to a small fishing village on the Gulf coast that I had not visited. We have this fun saying that gets my adrenaline going, not sure about hubby's but he seems to enjoy it. "New road, new road!" That means we're on a roadway that we have not been on before. We enjoy seeing the countryside and what it has to offer. Sometimes it's sagebrush and cactus, other times it is fields of sugar cane and now and then we see cattle. We even saw a barn that resembled a Midwestern-style barn, painted red and gambrel roof.

I have a self-proclaimed theme song, "On the road again" by Willie Nelson. It's been my favorite for years. I enjoy traveling the roads in a car and recently I have taken to the "roads" on foot, in my walking shoes! It's a different kind of traveling. It's hot and sweaty versus sitting in an air-conditioned car. It's moving down the road using my own fuel and energy. I have done my stints at walking before with moderate success. However, I fall out of the habit very easily and then it's months or years before I start walking regularly again. There's a saying that is often tagged onto me, "No moss grows under your feet," a tribute to my many moves around the country. However, I have allowed "moss" to grow under my feet by being a couch-potato! That "moss" has added poundage to my body and caused muscles to atrophy, both conditions of which I no longer want, much less need.

What roads is this project taking me down? What hills, valleys, curves, ditches will I encounter along the way? How many others will I meet on the roads?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean Rayna about getting in the walking groove and then easily quitting and eventually (sometimes months and months later) starting up again. It is really tough to be self-disciplined.It is SO EASY to just do the lazy thing and think about it but then get jealous and upset with ourselves when we see someone fit and trim. It can be very frustrating. I greatly admire you for taking the steps, one at a time, to improve your well being. I wish you the best of luck? No. I wish you health and happiness! That's more important. Take care. Love, your upstairs kid (the taller one)