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Green, Green Rocky Road

Dear reader,

A new year calls for a new font. Sadly that's all the "it's time for change" hype I am willing to subscribe to. I have resolved to post here a little more in the hope that writing is like mining or panning for gold; there's a lot of shit to get through before hitting the good stuff.

I was at the gym this morning. The trainer's shirt said something along the lines of 'the most important part of working out is showing up'. The sentiment is true enough to be universally applicable. Whether it's lifting weights or being in a relationship, giving it your all is the most important move. I dislike exercise a lot but cannot afford to continue buying trousers to keep up with an expanding waistline. It's been two months and I have to grudgingly admit that the overall effect of showing up regularly and putting my body through the grind is positive. The negative is all that crap Punjabi music. Anyway, there's still some way to go before I hit my target weight & fitness levels. Besides, the whole belly fat stubbornness thing is true so it'll be a while before I can afford to take it easy. The only amusing difference between the gym and a relationship is that not showing up helps gain weight and lose the partner. There have been some tragic side effects of gym however; even a hint of fried and/or spicy food cues acidity, so I eat healthy and pretend to like it.

At work, there may be some upheaval afoot. A marketing team colleague who only joined last year has indicated that they're getting the lifeboat ready. Can't blame them really. In fact, their casting off is likely to set off a domino effect, moi included. I could use the break, the sabbatical and the space to do nothing for a while, potential recession be damned. But it must be some weird collective middle-class psyche thing which makes even the thought of a pause in the monthly salary a nervous proposition. The colleague and I share this fear. In my case, ageism and shrinking ability to monetize my skills are problems too. However, nothing has been decided yet, so watch this space.

Another interesting thought (yea, I had a lot of time on my hands over the new year weekend) was about how much work a real friendship is and the evolving nature of friendships in general; some progress for the better, others become perfunctory and a handful die quiet deaths. The older I get, the easier it is becoming to accept that this evolution is natural. Let's see what the next 363 days have in store.

Song for the moment: Peace Train - Cat Stevens

Comments

Anonymous said…
An idea I keep going back to in situations like fitness (and discipline and commitment in general) is "A thing worth doing, is worth doing poorly." It is somewhat counter-intuitive but it helps you chug along once you really understand it.

https://www.chesterton.org/a-thing-worth-doing/

This even applies to what you have said about relationships and the work they take. Putting in work at sustainably low standards (and with low expectations) is the only way to make anything work. Again, somewhat counter-intuitive but it tracks pretty well with my (admittedly, very limited) life experience.

Hope you keep writing and updating more often in 2023, and hope that helps you get everything you're looking to get out of it, personally!
4 January 2023 at 23:46
G said…
Hi Anon. This may sound bizarre but I came across that quote only a few days ago. Freely admit that I'd subscribed to the counter-point, i.e. doing it well. But, right now is a chance to pause and reflect on many things, and I will try to live by the spirit of Chesterton's words for some time and see where it takes me. At least when it comes to gym, there's no danger of me turning into a fitness freak or muscle monster. But it will be intriguing to see how the philosophy affects my work relationships. Thank you for the comment & I hope you'll keep reading and sharing more inputs.

Wish you a good year & the opportunities to make the most of it.
5 January 2023 at 09:21
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