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I've run/walked two miles three times in the last
six days. Although, I've rediscovering muscles that I had forgotten about,
I feel pretty good. I've never really been against fat people... because
I'm above the ideal weight myself. But lazy people do bug the hell out of
me. Slowly, I've noticed me sliding to the lazy side. Exercising is putting
the breaks on that move.
With the exception of last night / early morning, I've always had fellow
firefighters running with me. Just them being there motivates me. For me,
at least, its harder to quit or to slack off on something when people are
watching. I discussed this with
Brian
while at the track a few nights ago. As he put it, "when you're by yourself,
its easy to quit." When I started the exercise kick, I knew I'd be heading
off to school before long. I knew that I'd no longer have the chance to run
with my fellow firefighters. I'd lose what's been my motivation.
I told
Brian
that we had a track at my school and that I'd be doing my laps down there.
He replied: "No, you won't. You'll have something else to do. You'll put
it off. You'll decided to do it tomorrow. And then the day after that. And
you won't get it done." He was trying the motivational approach... and it
worked... but not in the way he intended.
He's right. It's easy to quit something when you have to have the self discipline
to do it on your own. But instead of thinking about how hard it will be to
keep going, I started thinking of the consequences if I quit. If I become
a lazy fat-ass, I don't get to be a firefighter... at least, not in one of
the larger departments that I'd like to be on. That's my dream and not getting
into better shape will be suicide for that dream.
I can't lose focus of why I'm doing this...
"I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The
position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know
the work which a fireman has to do believe his is a noble calling. There
is an adage which says that, 'Nothing can be destroyed except by fire.' We
strive to preserve from destruction the wealth of the world, which is the
product of the industry of men, necessary for the comfort of both the rich
and the poor.
"We are defenders from fires of the art which has beautified the world, the
product of the genius of men and the means of refinement of mankind. But,
above all, our proudest moment is to save lives of men -- the work of God
Himself. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation
thrills us and stimulates to deeds of daring, even at the supreme sacrifice.
Such considerations may not strike the average mind, but they are sufficient
to fill to the limit our ambition in life and to make us serve the general
purpose of human society." (Fire Chief Croker, FDNY, circa
1905)
If I do lose sight of the goal... you have my permission to
kick me in the ass and tell me that I'm
straying from the path. |