...And I Did It My Way

It has become extraordinarily evident of late how much of a rigid stubborn freak I am. Husband has thankfully finished the bar exam and will hopefully begin working later this month. Now we experience yet another waiting period (until October) for the results. With the rigors of law school and the bar now past, husband is tasked with finding ways to occupy his time. He's been able to do some "pleasure reading" of outlandish Dan Brown novels and to play some video games that have been collecting dust until recently. He's also been able to accompany me on my weekly excursions to the grocery store. The past two treks to the store reveal to me how much I savor a routine of perusing the aisles in an exacting order, how much I like to drive the cart and how much I enjoy doing things "my way." However, realizing that no woman's an island, I try to work collaboratively on shopping trips. Husband drives the cart because he too relishes the joy of pushing food around and avoiding slow old people and large women who spend hours gazing at the spices. He tries to work with my system while I consciously try to let go of "my way" and be more flexible. This change to a shopping routine applies to all facets of my life. It takes conscious effort and strength to waver from my system.

I have "my way" when it comes to running as well. I keep my schedule posted to the refrigerator. Each day I look forward to checking off a workout accomplished and tracking which shoes I wore that day. I adhere to the schedule as if my life depended upon it. I make sure that my Forerunner indicates I've done the prescribed mileage for the day. My anal retention has become increasingly difficult given that I'm training for the same marathon as my running buddy. Her approach is a bit more flexed than mine. She doesn't worry about doing her long runs at the "right pace." I cringed when she told me her time for a 13-miler; the pace would be about what we're hoping to run for the course of the marathon. This method doesn't seem like the right way based upon the reading that I've done. But I'm no expert. I can't coach her otherwise. She's a stronger runner than I am. She may not be running "my way." I'm learning that "my way" isn't the best way for everyone, no matter how much I've read or run.

Each day is an opportunity for personal improvement. Each day is a step towards learning how to work better with others. Each day I strive to be that twig in the river, floating effortlessly, despite the fact that many times I seem to be stuck between rocks in the riverbed being mercilessly beaten by the current.