A Lesson about Choice

I walk in and greet my hospice patient, the 94 years old Mrs M. She is laying under a blanket with a quarter of a sandwich in front of her. She slowly eats the sandwich as we catch up from my last visit. A large palm sways in  the window behind her bed. Mrs M. says she would like to write a book. I ask her what the topic would be and she says "the choices of life" .

I ask her what the most important choice in life is. She says, " Well, it depends on the person. You need to consider your strengths and weaknesses and what makes you happy... as you can tell,  I was a guidance counselor as well." I said, " So , you helped people find the answer that they already had inside?"  She smiles. "Exactly."

Her blue eyes focus on me for a few moments before she says," You are still young. You have miles to travel . And if you find yourself getting tired of one road, you can go down another. Maybe you will find a husband and settle down. Maybe you won't and that's okay too. There are lots of independent women that are very happy. " I smile . She says, " When you are making headway with a student you can see it all over their face. I'm still teaching and enjoying it. Now I'm teaching YOU."

She says that she always wanted to be a doctor. Instead , she ended up teaching chemistry at the college she graduated from. I ask why she didn't become a doctor. She said the Lord had different plans for her. Soon after college she got married and had children. During the war she was offered many positions but had a two year old at home. She smiles as she says, " You just can't buy that kind of work."

She said, " I always loved teaching. I became the study of what I taught about. In order to be a good teacher you must be passionate about it and  I was. " She pauses .  " You must excuse me." She  leans her head back on her pillow as her eyes began to close . She is sleeping. It may have been one short visit but I already learned a lifetime of lessons.

Let's Bounce ! My Kangoo Jumping Experience

I am welcomed into Beachside Ryde studio  by thumping music . I am handed my kangoo boots and am shown how to strap them on . The employee reaches out his hand as I slowly stand . He lets go after I take a couple steps and gain my balance.

Women are wearing bright neon workout tops ,leggings and high socks. Some of the kangoo boots are bedazzled with rhinestones. The instructor ,Tania ,comes to the front of the room as everyone assembles into lines. We begin with a light jog ; kicking up our heels . Our arms soon become part of the equation - circling and reaching in every direction .

 Tania screams "Let's go! " . The music pulses faster and faster and all of a sudden we are  jumping up and down . The slamming into the floor creating a rythmic clapping sound . Tania weaves in the use of hula hoops ,waving them in the air as we bounce . We grab small weighted balls that we toss from one hand to another and pass in circles around our waists . Using a weighted bar , we flex as we squat. Squatting ,I struggle much more to keep my balance then when I am moving. We cool down with a slow r&b song. I sit down to unstrap my boots. I feel invigorated. My body feels warm and my muscles relaxed. I put on my sneakers and walk to my car. I feel like I am walking on air.

Why kangoo jump ? A form of rebound exercise , kangoo jumping is touted as causing less stress on the joints ,reducing injuries ,improving circulation , providing a great core workout , improving posture ,and a greater  calorie burn . Through gravity ,acceleration ,and deceleration you get a challenged workout unlike any other.


Www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/2012/03/12/fitness-with-a-bounce-jump-into-the-rebound-exercise-boom/stories/201203120147

Everyone's Job

The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy. - Kalu Kalu


I saw an image the other day that has stuck with me. A crossing guard was wiping tears away from a young girl's face with her neon orange glove. The girl was looking up at the woman with big brown eyes and nodding. The tears seemed to be slowing by the time the light changed and I was driving away.

This woman's job was not to console children- it was to get them safely across the street. But she impacted the girl's day and maybe even her life with her words. Every day we have the opportunity to lift someone up. We can make everyone's walk across the street a little easier and it is everyone's job to do so.

Stick To Your Guns : My First Shooting Range Experience

I carry a weapon. I got a death threat a few years ago and was really scared. But I don't want bodyguards. I am my own security.

-Miranda Lambert in Self Magazine, June 2012

I open the heavy door into the indoor shooting range. As it closes behind me I step forward, past rows of men and women loading their ammo and shooting. Heavy plastic black dividers separate each shooter. My father and I stay to the back of the room to load the magazine with bullets and then wait our turn for a lane. Loud blasts are only slightly muffled by my large headphones and I jump a little as someone fires off a shotgun. The room smells of smoke and lead. Shells of all colors and sizes litter the concrete floor. People are lined up shooting off a variety of guns; rifles, shotguns, and handguns.  

We step up to our lane, pin up our target to the wire and  flip a switch to send it back to the middle of the range. My father helps me load the Barretta Jetfire .25 caliber. The tiny gun holds 7 bullets in its chamber and 1 additional in the slide on top. I point the gun down as I load and take off the safety. I grip the gun tightly as I raise it up. My father steadies my arms and tells me to gently press the trigger. Bang. Hits the edge of the target. He soon takes his arms away and steps back and I shoot the gun myself.  The bullet flies forward as its shell flies behind me.Next, I shoot a slightly bigger gun , a Glock Model 19 9mm.

Today I conquered my biggest fear. I have always worried that I would not be able to handle a gun properly.  I may decide I do not want to carry a gun but the important thing is I know how to use one and have the choice.  I feel exhilarated.  I feel fearless. I feel liberated. 

Never let fear stop you from anything you have a desire to do. Stick to your guns.

Float On : My Experience in a Sensory Deprivation Tank

The irony of a sensory deprivation tank is that in order to think outside the box, you must first go inside one.

-Ryan Lilly



I spent an hour today inside a float tank, also known as a sensory deprivation chamber. A float tank is a large enclosed fiberglass chamber that looks like a bathtub heated to 93.5 degrees farenheight, skin temperature. 1,100 lbs of medical grade epsom salt are dissolved into 300 gallons of water. The spa where the session was held, Souler Float in Melbourne, FL, touts that the benefits include alleviating stress, improving sleep, increasing creativity and problem solving, improving athletic performance , and releving pain.

I took a step into the tank. Plop. And another. Plop. I lowered the lid of the tank and sat in the epsom sultion. Music began to play , a soft drumming. Lights illuminated the pod: blue, green, red , and yellow. I laid back and lifted my feet. I would hear the music still, muffled now. I lifted my arms above my head .

After a few minutes, the music stopped and the lights faded to blackness. I fought the sudden urge to sit up and open the chamber door. My thoughts raced : I was now inside a pod in total darkness and the only sound I could hear was my heart beating rapidly. I told myself I was safe and could open the door anytime I wanted . I let my body simply float. I drifted around the tank, occasionally brushing up against the sides. I wiggled my toes just to make sure my legs were still there. I focused on relaxing the different muscles in my body. I told myself I no longer had to tense my neck to hold it up, I could let it go and the water would support it.

I floated until I hear the music begin to softly play again. I had survived the 45 minutes of complete darkness. The lights then began to flash, making the opening of the pod to bright light less harsh. I open the lop and stepped out to shower.I felt relaxed and tired.

After the session I went to a southwestern restaurant. The lights in the restaurant seemed a little brighter. The crackle of the steak  and chicken on the grill seemed a little louder. My steps as I walked up to the counter seemed a little heavier on the ground.

Many people fall asleep on their first session but for others it may take several sessions to feel comfortable eneough to completly drift off.

When you stop struggling, you float.


Souler Float Website