A Whole Person

I tried desperately to sleep in today, and managed no more than 7:45. Crap. It would have been nice to lay around until 10...but that was not to be. Sooo....I got up, made coffee, and tried to watch The Goods. It was crap...mildy funny crap, but crap nonetheless. The kids eventually got up, then we spent  the day watching all the movies I rented again. When I had laid around long enough, and couldn't stand the smell of the kids burning garlic and steaks in the kitchen, I got my snow boots on and dressed for a walk with Gabby.

Because of the cold snap, I hadn't been walking in a couple of days, and it felt long overdue. Before I had made it a full block, I was starting to get warm enough in my jacket to sweat. By about four blocks, I took the jacket off and slung it over my shoulder. Gabby was ready and excited to get to the park, as it signals at least a half hour of freedom and exploring for her away from the prison of home and her fenced-in yard.

As I came down the hill into the park, there were a couple of other people there with their dogs. As I passed an older gentleman with a dog about the size and shape of Gabby, I looked up to say hello and realized I knew him. His name is Mike, and he lives in the same apartments where James lives. He had signed up to ride the Maulers bus with me and Todd to a couple of hockey games back in November. As we talked on the bus, he had offered to pay me to come over and show him how to use his computer to send pics over the internet, and I had even taken some of our yard eggs and left them on his doorstep a couple of times when I went to visit James. When we realized we knew each other, we both stopped and gave one another a hug. He told me he had just today adopted the dog he had, and hadn't even given him a name yet. It was nice to run into someone I knew and had liked so much. We talked about his computer, the weather, movies, and hiking. Before I left him to hit the trail, I gave him my number and asked him to call me about the computer, and he said he would.

It felt really good to stretch my legs. The only thing I don't like about winter is all the time spent inside because of the weather. Cabin fever sets in after just a few days, so you can imagine what it's like after a few weeks. To break up the boredom, I like to drive up to the places I usually only hike in the spring and summer, like Roaring Lion. It seems like it would be treacherous in this weather, but the footfalls of others before me are pretty clear on the trail, which makes the going much easier. Besides, there is this hush in a forest covered in snow that can't be found anywhere else. The quiet is so pure, and even the sound of snow falling from branches overhead is muffled and muted. Still, I look forward to the budding of spring. I can't wait to get back outdoors again, hiking the mountains and floating the river. I think this is the year that I will spend more time in the outdoors than I will indoors.

Nothing has brought me peace in my times of struggle over the last couple of months more than walking. While I was in rehab, I walked the quarter-mile track out back, and took in the mountains, stars, and a grand view of Our Lady of the Rockies. When I got home, I started walking across town, and have now taken to going to the trails along the river. It has become a form of meditation for me, and easily allows me to sort through my thoughts and put them aside for a while as I listen, touch, smell, and see the glorious world of creation around me. Feeling the growing strength in my legs, and the balance in my feet and ankles is a joy without compare. After the years spent not walking and in constant pain after my accident and surgeries, I am so thankful that I can walk pain-free again. This is the first time in years I have felt like a whole person, and I thank God every moment of every day.

Memorable movie line of the day:

"I'm gonna punch you in the ovary, that's what I'm gonna do. A straight shot. Right to the babymaker." (Will Ferrell, Anchorman)