Gaining Momentum

It feels so good to have things to report that demonstrate my renewed conviction toward living my life more fully. As I stated in my last blog post, I have moved forward toward joining the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), this is a workout gym designed specifically for persons with disabilities.

It was through the encouragement from my new friend, Bruce, that led me to finally follow through on something I had been thinking of doing for over a year and a half. I am going to the gym for the first time in two years and I am looking forward to it with great anticipation and expectations.

Normally there is an evaluation process to determine what programs are suited to a particular person and their situation. A lot of people use RIC as a means of recovering from debilitating illnesses such as a stroke or learning how to deal with Parkinson's Disease and the like. However, as we know I have been working out at home for the two past years, and after having spoken to the RIC manager we determined that such an evaluation would not be necessary in my circumstance.

So, I will be going to RIC as a gym patron. I have decided that I will be wearing my short legs to the gym, as the long legs (C-legs) could prove to be a hindrance rather than an aid. As you may recall, about this time last year I was so self conscious about being seen in those legs that at first I would not even wear them into the physical therapy gym, instead remaining in the exam room. Eventually I wore them out into the physical therapy gym, similarly, it has followed throughout other areas of my life.

Now I have decided that I will wear the short legs from the onset at this new gym. In the not so distant past, I would wear the C-legs and change into the short legs when I arrived, but not this time.

I really believe that the influence that my new mentor, Bruce, has had on me has made me rethink my entire approach to wearing the short legs and I am learning that this feeling of self-consciousness is a self inflicted constraint that I would be well served to discard.

Sometimes it takes time to develop a mindset that will allow you to realize you are only hurting your own progress by being overly concerned with how you look to others and that your own personal gains are what really matter in the scheme of your life. This mindset may come easily to some, take time for others and there are those who will never reach that point.

Anyway, I am finally at a point where I want my progress to supersede any other potentially disqualifying feelings of peculiarity and move forward toward my goals. I have been wearing these short legs almost continuously and now in front of people that in the past I may not have been willing to do so. I think that is progress.

My buddy, Bruce, said I should also on occasion walk on the longer legs, so that I am not out of practice. Guess what ? Too late. I walked about twenty feet and I thought I was going to die.

It is as if I am starting all over on the long legs because I have not been practicing walking in them as I should have been. Alas all is not lost as I will begin again, something I am quite accustomed to doing.

I am hoping that walking in the longer legs will be much like a person's muscle memory, it will come back readily and it will not like starting completely from scratch.

It is exciting this newly found momentum and I am determined to keep the ball rolling and in the course gain speed, moving ever closer to those goals and perhaps setting even higher ones for my future.

A quick shout out to Bruce for your continuous inspiration and encouragement, you are truly a brother. Thanks for taking the time to help me make the quality of my life better.

*To leave a comment hit the comment button below, to reach me personally write to: glennartinc@yahoo.com