6/26/21
He looks about 16, I figure he’s quiet, shy, though physically strong jawed and athletic…
I could see him as a roughly 140lb wrestler.
His step dad is screaming at him finger in his face, his older brother and the brother’s friend are through body language trying to keep the peace.
The kid storms off, passes by me a few minutes later alone, his hood up, shoulders tense, both fists clenched.
I get it, looks like a rough position to be in. 16, an asshole step dad, not the best part of town.
I don’t say a word to the kid, but I want to tell him “dude, I’ve been there, go to the park- work out, work off the steam”.
There’s a playground damn close.
A few spots within short walking distance.
Kid is already on foot, fuming – go to one of the spots.
This all rehit me, teenage arguments with my dad, I’d walk to the park just sit there, play tetris on my flip phone, or if possible hit lots of dips, fast, headphoned up.
(Did those dips to Disturbed, think about the name a second, the connotations, much of the so called “music” is negative brainwashing garbage.)
Blow off the steam.
If I could id go back and force my 14 year old self to be massacring burpees, better yet my even younger self, 10 even.
I’d never have been a fat kid grades 7-9.
I’m soaked.
20 five pump burpees on a :20 interval, I’ve got one more set of mantra pushups to do before I shower up.
That kid just walks to the park and hits a bunch of burpees fast, he’ll never have an avoidable issue with his step dad, no matter how shitty the stepdad is :
•He won’t be arguing.
•He won’t softly be saying “you told me to step outside, we’re outside” sounding slightly angry, partly sad, but quite scared, his eyes looking at the ground.
He’ll just be wanting to crash on his bed or shower up.
Running through your energy, burning massive amounts of calories – you won’t have a moment for trouble.
I’ve been working 6-7 days a week, a woman told me “have a good weekend”, I told her “I’m working straight through it”, she told me “good, then you’re making money, you could not be, and that’ll be keeping you out of trouble”.
There’s truth to that.
Thus far I’m mostly only making time for job and train.
Doing something else, for myself…
I could match my 55 hours pay at this job with 10 hours self employed. 10!
(That’s at what is the normal local hourly rate in the field.)
But for the moment, at this job –
the crockpot with have to come out, which will solve cooking.
Pulled chicken breast in tomato sauce on hoagie rolls has sounded far beyond amazing for the last 36 hours.
Maybe with garbanzo beans.
I don’t have real problems.
There’s a roof over my head, there’s food aplenty in the fridge, in the grocery store, I’ve got clothes, there’s hot water about to clean off the day’s grime and sweat.
Heck, how could I complain when not only do I get “wow you lift” compliments, but “great beard” compliments as well.
I’m definitely losing weight with the physical job.
Some fat has come off my upperbody, a good deal off my lower. I’m interested to see how lean I’ll get, and I know it’d come faster with bodybuilder style eating.
How you feel physically, and mentally is strongly correlated with everything you do.
Unless you’re craving it strongly, crummy food makes you feel like crap.
Normal eating, meat, potatoes, dairy works for 99% of people – if they’d just do it.
I view meatloaf and mashed potatoes as a very American thing, a staple with the family around the table for a reason.
It worked, still would.
Until tommorow,
Persistence & Tenacity