Yeah, I'll Go There

You've seen this and the hubub it has created, or you haven't but will now:

This made news ... news ... because a lot of people got pissed off that this woman tagged her fitness picture with the "What's your excuse" line.

*sigh*

This tagline was insulting to soooo  many people. However, it was also really inspirational to others. For me, as I tend to do with pretty much everything I read, I saw it and thought about it. Unemotionally.

Frankly, I didn't take this as she was accusing or even asking me, personally, of anything. However, I will fully and completely admit that this kind of picture and caption would have evoked a different response from me about 7-10 years ago. "Screw you!" comes to mind as a likely past response. OR, "She obviously has more time and help than I do right now," (ignoring the three babies in front of her and the fact that I know nothing about her life situation). OR, dismissing it as completely and utterly unrelatable. I mean, it's not like I have three kids those ages, right? (Yeah ... that's the point ...)

I have to admit I would have spent some time defending myself, even if just to myself, back in the day because, the fact is, that tag line could have been aimed directly at me at that time. For all of the very good reasons I had for not exercising, I also fully and completely own that there was some cop out in there, too. I made some very intentional choices to not take the time. Any time. While I didn't have the structure and opportunity I've created right now, I could have made something  work if I'd really wanted to.

But, you know what? I didn't want to. Wait ... I wanted to in theory, but I didn't want to do  the work. That's more accurate. It was very concious on my part. I totally knew it, too, but it's not something I was going to talk about. (It was my choice and my doing; who would want to listen to a dialogue that was really a stream of excuses?) And, had the above picture/issue surfaced back then, I would have felt like she was talking directly to me, but I most definitely would not have attacked her  for the fact that I felt bad about myself. (Except, of course, when sneering a "Screw you" response -- aimed at her but about me.)

They say life is about what you make of it, but I suggest it's more than that. It's about what you own.

And, tomorrow, I'm going to own the road, biznaaaaatch !!!!!!! (that was for you, Aaron!)

I'll probably never look like the lady in that picture (impossible when I don't have three kids, am I right again ?! hahahaha ... I wonder if she's as funny as I am ...). But, I like the tag line because it made me take a quick, internal survey to see if I'm conducting myself in a way I can be proud of no matter what anyone else thinks. Right now, I say all systems are GO.

I'll see you after the morning run!