by Jackie Cooper
Okay, I have to admit it. I have started walking. Well, in truth, I have been walking since infancy, but now I have joined the ranks of those people who walk a certain amount of time every day for their health. I fought the good fight, but now I have decided to give up and join them.
My wife is in a state of shock. She has been walking for ages, but when she tried to get me to join her I opted not to get out of bed. I always reminded her to take her keys, good husband that I am. Then off she would go and I would get back to the business of sleeping.
Maybe it was Tim Russert’s death that made me change my mind. I saw a doctor on television discussing Russert’s untimely death, and he stated your waist should be no more than half your height. By those calculations I should be eight feet tall, and I’m not. I wish I could solve my health problems by growing taller and not have to shrink my waist, but I think my days of growth spurts are at an end.
When I was a teenager I was a stick. I just didn’t gain weight. Whatever my metabolism was then it made me thin. So why don’t we keep that same metabolism all of our life? Mine changed sometime around my last year in law school. Up till then I could eat anything I wanted and not gain an ounce. I didn’t do a lot of physical activity then either but it didn’t matter. I was a lean, mean fighting machine. Well, at least I was lean. One out of three ain’t bad.
When my metabolism changed, it changed overnight. Honestly, it did. I have stretch marks from how I ballooned up so fast. I had to buy a whole new wardrobe of clothes because everything became tight at one time. My pants became tight and my shirts became tight. At least my socks still fit.
From that point on I have battled with my weight. I can now look at food and gain a few pounds. And when I eat – Katie, bar the door. Those pounds come rushing to me like they are having a picnic. My pounds love me and fight to stay with me.
But now I am part of the walking elite. I get out there every morning and walk at least a couple of miles. It almost kills me, but I am determined to keep doing it. One thing that helps is counting my steps. I keep a cadence of sorts on my left foot and that is where I count “one, two, three, etc.”
Maybe the counting keeps my mind occupied, but whatever the reason I can make the distance if I count it off. I don’t talk to anyone, I don’t listen to music, I just put my head down and count off the steps. My head only pops up when I hear a car approaching.
Hopefully this will decrease my waist size. I really would hate to think I have got to grow taller in order to survive – but if I must, I must.
Jackie K. Cooper was born in South Carolina and now lives in Georgia. He is the married father of two sons and the proud grandparent of a boy and a girl.
He is familiar to people living in the middle Georgia area as the "entertainment man" since his entertainment reviews run in newspapers and are shown on television there. His short stories have also been used as commentary on Georgia Public Radio.
Cooper has lived an exceptionally interesting life. Portions of it were contained in his first book JOURNEY OF A GENTLE SOUTHERN MAN. Now the journey continues in his second book titled CHANCES AND CHOICES.
and be sure to visit his excellent web site: jackiekcooper.com.
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