Facing our demons

So yesterday was a big day for me. I faced one of my biggest obsticles and conquered it! Nov 1,2007 I lost a dear friend and mentor/work out partner, John. John was a great rolemodel in almost all facets of his Christian life, he was a great father, wise counsel, great husband, and listener. What made it even more difficult was the fact he was one of my biggest supporters and workout accountability partner. To top that he died of a massive heart attack after doing our normal swim routine in the shower at the pool we swam at. I wasn't there that day, but had spoken to him previously that week. He was the chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, and had acheived great success in his career. You'd never know that talking with him though, he was like a father figure, and would often recount how he'd counseled various players (always keeping their anonymity) and how they'd made it through whatever was challenging them.

Not making excuses but with John's loss and other issues I had never dealt with I sank into a deep state of depression, and basically checked out of life. Leaving my wife to deal with the shattered pieces of me. It went on for over a year before I started "manning up". I can never apologize enough for the personal hell my wife endured, but with God's grace and plan he saw me through it, and as they say if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger and this was no exception. I had slowly started taking more responsibility and returning to my routine and life, except for my weight, and that would change....Monday.

I like many others tend to yo-yo with my weight, and had no clue how much I weighed. Until Monday. Monday I got up and went to the hospital to weigh in, due to my size that is the only scale that will weigh me, and I found out exactly where I was at. I don't want to reveal it today, but let's just say i'm not morbidly obese, nope in Texas everything's bigger and i'm no exception, I'm "super obese" due to my BMI. So initial weight check, gym membership check (and actually using it), and the last demon was my pool. I love to swim and am quite a fish! I had wanted to go probably a dozen times over the past two years but would never seem to make it, until yesterday.

Yesterday that changed, I smashed the psychological demon that had been stopping my from going back to the pool, I was victorious!! It was almost surreal at first, but my friends were still there, Jack and his wife (two retirees who are some of the most fit people I know) the wierd German lady (who wears a flowered swim cap) and owns lane one, as well as other familiar faces! As soon as I got in, I knew I was home and back with lost family just like it was yesterday, and i'm going back, right now actually, so with that I bid you adieue. I hope you have a great day, and if there's anything holding you back, don't let it. Conquer it today, you won't regret it, and it is so freeing and rewarding afterwards so there you have it, Just do it!!