On Exercising (NOT) and Guilt

On Thursday I have to have my usual physical checkup. I absolutely HATE it and put it off as long as possible. First of all, I'm sure that Dorothy (my doc) is going to find some obscure disease that I didn't know I had and that I would be perfectly content not knowing about. Secondly, there is that miserably awful no good very bad position one has to assume for the dreaded --- PAP SMEAR! And finally, there will, yet again, be the discussion about:

"How's the exercising coming, Jan?"

I've been contemplating how I should answer this for weeks. Bob's approach is that we should walk on Wednesday -- downtown and back -- and then I could simply tell her that "we've been walking." (That's akin to my telling Rob, our dentist, that "I've been flossing!" I always do it the day before I get my teeth cleaned.)

"How far are you walking?"

I suppose if I add it all together -- the walk downtown and back, walking to the bathroom, walking to the kitchen, walking to the front door and to the mailbox, walking to the refrigerator again -- and then, of course, all the walking my fingers do on the keyboard, it might be a right good little bit!"

"About 2 miles....give or take a bit."

"Not enough -- you need to do three."

I'll blog harder.

I was thinking about telling her that "I've not had the energy to exercise since Bob lost his job. It's been so depressing...."

Of course, I didn't exercise when he HAD a job, but at least it is an excuse.

Well, not really.

If you want to know about how I really feel about exercising, read Torrey's second post in her blog...

I talked to my sister Lyn yesterday -- she didn't call me back immediately because why? Because she was at Curves, that's why.

And my sister Rosie runs -- and runs -- Rosie the Roadrunner, we call her. Not only that, she wins 5K and 10K runs in her age bracket.

If there were two of us walking a 1K in my age bracket, the other person would win. Feet down.

I am going to tell Dorothy that she and her obsession with my (not) exercising has at least inspired a 10 minute powerpoint lecture complete with amazing clipart. It's on guilt.

A lot of folks think you shouldn't encourage mothers to breastfeed in case they can't, in which case you would be making them feel guilty.

Why doesn't anyone worry about telling me to lose weight, go on a diet, or (argghhhh) exercise lest I should feel guilty?

But some mothers CAN'T breastfeed, and you are going to make them feel guilty for telling them they should.

Hey -- some people are in wheelchairs and they can't exercise, but I don't see it stopping Dorothy from telling me what I SHOULD do. She's hoping guilt will motivate me.

I feel guilty.

It's not helping.

Guilt comes from knowing you SHOULD do something and being ABLE to do something -- and not doing it. Or doing something you know you shouldn't do. Like smoke.

Sadness and disappointment come from not being able to do something you want to do -- like breastfeed your baby.

Not the same thing at all.

I hope Dorothy appreciates her moment of fame when I lecture on guilt. Now if only I could guilt myself into exercising.

Meanwhile, what AM I going to tell Dorothy on Thursday?

The truth???