August 11, 2015
(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every
day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)
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| Determination at 95. |
Today was too hot and humid to walk in the park and
do battle with aggressive deer flies so I wound up on the treadmill at Big Vanilla gym for my daily exercise. With
ear buds plugged, I trudged along and noticed an elderly black man walk by
once, twice, three times and then four. Each time I waved and smiled at him and
he nodded and smiled back.
As I was leaving, I saw him sitting and taking a
break. I asked him how many times he usually walks around the gym and he said
he always does six, so he had two more rounds to go. “You know, I’m 95,” he
said to me, with some pride. I learned that this nonagenarian
is Logan and I told him that I admired his attitude.
“You got to keep doing it because nobody’s going to do it for you. It’s
all up to you. Once you’re down, there’s no getting up.” He went on, “Independence
is important. I do everything for myself. I pick up my own medicine from the
drugstore. I don’t want to go into a nursing home. When the time comes that I
can’t walk, I’ll crawl.” I’m sure he will. “I don’t eat meals with my kids
because I don’t want them telling me when and what I’m going to eat.” He told
me that he’s an avid golfer and even plays in Myrtle Beach. I told him that he’s
an inspiration.
I gave him a hidden hug, a
positivity/mental health project that my friend Andi has started. I gave him a small
cutout circle with a hand-written quotation and a ribbon. It said You are responsible for your own happiness.
Logan smiled again.
My
gift today is a conversation with Logan.
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Read more about the Hidden Hugs project:
http://hiddenhugs.weebly.com/about.html
https://www.facebook.com/HiddenHugs
Day 246: I'd Rather Be a Horse
