Thursday, January 13, 2005
Exceeding Expectations
Three things that went better than expected:
1) Last week I got to my Tuesday night yoga class after a relaxing vacation during which I slept on a soft bed, ate prodigously, drank more, and basically let myself slip far away from the disciplined physical culture which I try to maintain while I’m at home. I therefore came to that class with trepidation - but I breezed through it, barely even breaking a sweat. It was so easy for me, in fact, that the next day I barely even felt it, and experienced very little “carryover” strength or limberness or vitality through the rest of the week. Still, I forced myself to continue to do my morning stretching and to eat my sensible salads and my diminutive dinners and I slowly built back a sense of physical fitness by the time I girded my loins for class this past Tuesday night. I felt ready for it this time, I was geared up and eager to take it on. Riiight. That class kicked my ass. I was in a full-body sweat within 15 minutes and, though I was able to do all the poses, most of them felt very challenging - even the ones I usually handle without difficulty. I got home totally spent, and the next day - yesterday - I woke up feeling like all my muscles had shrunk a few sizes overnight, especially the backs of my legs and my lower back. I spent most of yesterday in my deskchair, but whenever I got up or moved around I felt the impact of that class, all the way till I got into bed last night. I read for a while and then when I turned to put out the light, my muscles suddenly relaxed and my spine and hips released with a series of very audible pops and I suddenly felt more comfortable, healthier and better, than I had in weeks. The class where I had been ready for anything had left me just where I started, but the class that made me stiff and sore for a full day left me feeling sublime - that is, once the ache and rictus had passed. I remain shocked at how little I got out of the class where things came easily, and how much good I got out of the class where I struggled.
2) I have spent a good bit of the past year creating a database in Access that tracks information about a project I administer. It’s my first foray into using this software in a really hands-on way, and I’ve been slowly building my competence to the point that I thought I could actually make it do what I wanted it to do. Yesterday I was instructed to prepare the next round of disbursements - to generate the paperwork that would identify the programs that had not yet gotten their grants but had completed their filing requirements. I punched up the report I’d designed for this purpose - and got nothing. Great, I’d screwed it up. There was a bug in the system or a programming error or some damn thing and it was my responsibility and it was my fault and it was not working right and I was getting frustrated and OH YEAH I need to tell the computer that we’d signed the contracts for the programs that had fulfilled their requirements… I had one more question for myself about how to make things work, not just properly, but exceptionally well, so I pulled out a 700 page reference book that just happened to have a single post-it that flagged EXACTLY the page I needed ... and now the damn thing works like a charm. It’s finally really done, and I did it.
3) As some of you know, I own the world’s most powerful piece of outerware, an indian-blanket jacket with vibrant colors, warm and nearly waterproof. But it’s gotten rather tired, and when I noticed I’d worn through the bottom of one sleeve I knew it was time to replace it. Also, because it’s so vibrant, people on the street come up to talk to me about it, and they’re usually people who smell weird and want me to give them some money or cigarettes or a place to crash. So I went out last weekend and found a black leather jacket that is understated, heavy and warm. It’s not water resistant, but that’s all it lacks. I wore it for the first time yesterday and I can already tell that it’s imbued with special charisma enhancers that even the indian blanket jacket didn’t possess. This morning is very chilly and damp, but I was perfectly warm in my new coat. I have actually upgraded from the world’s most powerful piece of outerware. I am fulfilled.
That’s enough joy for a Thursday morning, isn’t it? Time for me to get to work. Keep warm, let the system do the work for you, and if you find yourself a bit achy and uncomfortable, it may just mean that you’ll feel better than you could imagine sooner than you think!
