‘Tis healthy to be sick sometimes. — Henry David Thoreau
Ok, I’m late with this post, I admit it. I’m late with a lot of things and the only excuse I have is old age.
When I first began planning my website and this blog I knew that I would hit walls of the mind. I knew that mental traps would be waiting for me so I devised a way to get around them and keep on working. I knew all that from past experience and experience being a great teacher taught me how to avoid the mistakes I always fell for. What I didn’t plan for was physical health issues. And that came to bite me hard.
As I write this I am in physical pain but not as much as I was all last week. At least I can move my arm this week. I say this not to become a victim but rather to point out just how quickly our lives can change despite all the planning we do. I planned for mental challenges but I did not plan for physical ones. If I cannot physically perform the actions then the work cannot get done regardless of how much I want to do it.
What I do know is that I cannot beat myself up over this issue. Had this setback occurred because I got lazy or scared or some other mental challenge then yes, yes I would be beating myself up and hard. To let a mental challenge stop me is a sign of cowardice, to let a physical challenge stop me just makes me mad.
The medications I have to take to control the pain diminishes my thinking capacity greatly not to mention making me sleep a lot. Still the pain is something that I have to face and deal with from now on. It appears I have inherited my grandmothers’ neck arthritis, which flared up and incapacitated my left arm and shoulder. And since I am left handed I find myself at a disadvantage for a lot of things. At any rate the pain is slowly going away and I expect to be back to normal by next week. Or close to it. And so I hope.
The lesson I learned from this experience is this: when planning the future consider not only the mental challenges you will face but be ready for any physical challenges to your body as well. The cold or flu can knock you off your strategy just as easily as a broken bone or the overwhelming desire to just give up.
I can forgive myself for a physical issue but I can’t forgive myself for a mental one. And while mental challenges are the most predominant issues you and I will face, just remember the physical ones are out there as well. Plan on them.
G.
