Tuesday, March 1, 2011

I'm Not Heavy, I'm Your Laptop

Like most mornings, today started with me schlepping my computer bag into work. It was loaded with my laptop, power cords, assorted files, notebook, pens, clutch purse ... and this Tuesday, it also happened to contain two bags of candy to replenish Craig's stash of Tootsie Rolls and chocolate eggs.

The bag is a black patent leathertte dealio, pressed with a crock pattern. It has two handles that sling over my shoulder, wider at the base than the top. In other words, from far away it looks a smidge stylish. Up close, it's clearly a department store bargain.

The whole kit-and-kaboodle weighs less than 20 pounds.

As I hiked across the parking lot, almost getting winded, I couldn't help but think that a year ago, I was dragging that 20 pounds, plus 65 more, everywhere I went. And, sometimes I was carrying that damn computer bag, too.

I can't even get my head around that right now.

Anyone who's carrying that much extra weight around every day, all day long, is strong. Allowing yourself to carry less, by losing some, is so much easier than continuing to lug it around.

I keep thinking about this couple that came to the fitness center at the hotel the last two days of my vacation. The gentleman was big. Like 350 pounds big if I had to guess. And he came in both days to walk. He didn't walk fast. He didn't walk for a long time. But he was in there walking. The effort he was expending to do what he did was so much more than what I was putting forth to walk faster and farther. The courage it took for him to simply go into the fitness center was so much more than I had at my heaviest.

In other words, being thinner is a LOT of work. But it's so much easier than getting bigger.

I promise.

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