Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 110 – Are We There Yet?
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Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 110 – Are We There Yet?
Good Morning, Guys,
I am back from one of the most amazing weekends, ever. The JP Fitness Summit 2006 can only be described as fantastic. Knowing that my weekend would be a full one, I had hoped that I would find an opportunity to work on today’s Motivator. As it happened an unexpected chance presented itself as I will explain in this morning’s entry which I call, “Are We There Yet?”
Are We There Yet?
Here I am, on my way to the 4th annual JP Fitness summit in Little Rock, Arkansas and, in the finest tradition of American aviation, my plane was delayed in Harrisburg, Pa. As I disembarked in Charlotte, NC, I had to sprint with my luggage about 20 city blocks from one terminal to another to catch my connecting flight, arriving at the gate with only 3 minutes to spare, only to find that they would not let me on the plane as they had already closed the door. Again, in the best tradition of customer service in this country, they could not hold the flight for a few minutes, knowing that it was their delay that caused the problem in the first place. After a few choice uses of the “f” bomb, it was explained to me that all the flights were messed up because George Bush had visited Charlotte that day. I proceeded to explain that I was quite sure that the President was also responsible for the “big bang” that created the universe as well, but a mechanical delay in a city hundreds of miles away and an early push off from the gate were not likely among the many things for which he could be held accountable. And, so, I sit here with six hours on my hands waiting for the next flight at 10 PM.
After a solitary dinner whose only saving feature was a fine double scotch, I retired to the main concourse to sit in a white rocking chair, which is one of the quaint features of the Charlotte airport. It was then that I decided to use my time wisely and begin the motivator. What an amusing picture it made with the line of rocking chairs, with virtually each occupant toiling away on a laptop, cell phone or other electronic device, and me with paper and pen in hand, a throwback to another time, writing out my thoughts in longhand. I half imagined someone stepping up to me and asking where I got the crazy looking computer.
Waiting in the concourse of an airport, one can see a cross section of the world walk by in minutes. You get an incredible, if skewed, view of the world and its inhabitants, and the view is not a pretty one. The world as seen through these eyes is pretty much out of shape. Hundreds, no thousands, of people passed by and I was hard pressed to find a small percentage that might be said to be in decent shape. The ironic twist of all of this, however, was that a significant majority of the passers by were attired in all the latest athletic clothing and shoes. I mused about the idea that perhaps by some osmotic process the wearing of these trappings of fitness, they thought they might actually be or become fit. Insert a chortle here if you please.
Pausing, my mind harkened back to a simpler time, a more gentle time, and certainly a less hectic time. It was a time when the family vacation did not begin with a flight out of a busy airport, but a walk out the front door to the one and only family automobile. It was a chariot, packed to capacity with every item know to man that would be needed for trip to the mountains, or the beach, or just a visit to grandma’s house. And, within minutes of pulling out of the driveway and heading down the highway, a voice or voices would emanate from the back seat; a child’s voice; a plaintive plea for information. “Are we there, yet?”
These words were like holy ritual and part of the catalogue of chants used throughout childhood and I laugh to think about how many times I, myself, said them to my frazzled parents in the front seat. As my eyes lift from this page and taste another sampling of the corpulence filing by like so many widgets on an assembly line, I think the words, “are we there, yet?” And, sadly, the answer is no. For all the moving about that is going on; for all the motion and activity that parades before me; no one seems to be getting anywhere in a very real sense.
Nothing worthwhile in life is a short trip and certainly not an easy one for most. The amazing thing that we find in deciding to take control of our lives is that the journey is half the fun and the challenge is exhilarating. And that is why my thoughts turn to you my readers and friends and I think of you fondly. It is because you are making the changes and taking control. You have migrated from the back seat and are behind the steering wheel. You are no longer asking blindly, “are we there yet?” And, when someone asks it of you, you can say with confidence, “no, but I am getting there.”
Have a great week!
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
ha ha classic one, that makes you the navigator and the driver all in one mahler!
Will any of us ever really be there though? Will we hit our goals? What I mean by that is not the targets we set ourselves and verbaly tell others but the ones we secretly have inside that we aspire to but are too afraid to put down in writing?
__________________
BFG
"The time for talking has passed, actions are speaking louder than words."
what's nice is that like childre in a car going on vacation.. we don't know EXACTLY where we're going.. and sometimes have nice surprises. but unlike them.. we have some control.
__________________
Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
Another great piece. At times I do get frustrated by the "No" answer to "am I there yet". But, thanks to the MMMM's and some awesome people on this forum I am reminded that I will get there.
Thanks for reminding me again, John.
__________________
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."
Another great MMMM, John. It's funny, as I sat in the airport in Atlanta waiting for my conecting flight, I made the same observation. Wearing the latest thing in fitness clothes, yet way out of shape. Maybe they should limit the amount of product they sell in size XXXXL. On top of that, just about every flight I was on had a severely overweight person holding everybody else up, wheezing, coughing, and trying to squeeze their fat ass into a seat. If I really didn't feel sorry for them, it would have almost been comical.
On a personal note, it was great to meet you face to face and put a voice with the face. My sides still hurt from laughing so much. It was definitely a weekend to remember.
__________________
Those that can't do teach. Those that can't teach consult. Deserve aka Gabe
'8 replies before the gutter! Good job Clubhouse!!!!!' Ninjabookey
Rest and relaxation can be a powerful “nothing” to propel us to greater achievements. Mahler
Stop listening to your wiener. He may want to go for a swim, but you haven't checked if the waters are shark infested yet. Ninjabookey
Another great MMMM, John. It's funny, as I sat in the airport in Atlanta waiting for my conecting flight, I made the same observation. Wearing the latest thing in fitness clothes, yet way out of shape. Maybe they should limit the amount of product they sell in size XXXXL. On top of that, just about every flight I was on had a severely overweight person holding everybody else up, wheezing, coughing, and trying to squeeze their fat ass into a seat. If I really didn't feel sorry for them, it would have almost been comical.
On a personal note, it was great to meet you face to face and put a voice with the face. My sides still hurt from laughing so much. It was definitely a weekend to remember.
Funny that you mention that, because I got on my plane in Charlotte on the way home, sitting in my customary window seat, and down the aisle comes a guy easily in excess of 300 and more. He is, of course, carrying food with him. The first thing he does is flip up the armrest, which is tantamount to announcing that he is going to occupy his and at least 1/3 to 1/2 of my seat. I braced and as he sat, I didn't budge. He was literally hanging into the aisle, but I did not pay for half a seat. He then proceeded to scarf down the food he brought before the plane taxied from the gate. We were, needless to say, in constant contact for the entire flight and when I took out my MP3 and listened, I made sure I tapped my left leg to the music so that he was just a little disturbed because it was wedged firmly up against his leg which was fully as big in girth as my waist. I did, however, have a pleasant thought that almost made me laugh out loud. At one point I realized, looking at the enormous differences in our sizes, that I could deadlift this guy.
By the way, I hope you weren't laughing so hard merely because you met me face to face. LOL
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
Yeah, it doesn't get much more entertaining than spending some time in an airport "people watching". I travel a lot for my job and spend a lot of time in airports. One of the most discouraging moments I saw was a man in his early thirties probably 30-40 lbs overweight, check his blood sugar, give himself an insulin shot then proceed to pound a personal pan pizza and an enormous soda. I just kind of shook my head as I grabbed another handful of almonds and swigged water from a 1L bottle.
Just thought I'd share. Good MMMM, glad you guys & gals had a good weekend at the Summit.
Ted
__________________
Two Bears Dadda? Two Bears Benno, just two. ______________________________ ___________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971
On a personal note, it was great to meet you face to face and put a voice with the face. My sides still hurt from laughing so much. It was definitely a weekend to remember.
Nice MMMM today. It sounds like you all had a great weekend.
In reading this I got to thinking about a few things. First, I have gone through the Charlotte airport several times. I think it is one of the best places to be stuck at. It is a very nice layout.
Second this weekend we volenteered to build trail in southern MO. The 2:45 drive turned into 5+ hours due to the great forsight of MODoT. We took the back roads the whole way. My son (11) quietly sat in the back seat. Sometimes reading, sometimes commenting on the differing topography that we were driving through. Not once did he ask "are we there yet."
Nice post,John. I,everyone else , Am not there yet" but fully confident I'm heading on the right direction . Glad you had a good time and made it home safe.
__________________
My body said "You're supposed to be in the gym asshole"
Great one Mahler I wish that I could have met you in person. I know that I have come a long way in my journey and that there is so much further to go. The traditional are we there yet I have now passed on to my children. I always say to them to relax and enjoy the ride, we will never be There but its always within reach. Sadly I see to many ppl that you are talking about, I lift them into the back of the ambulance far too often. Or call the police and corner because they have sadly been taken out by the choices they have made. I see these people as my next potenial patient, how sad is that. I can guess what aliments they have, and then thank my dad for showing me the path that I have embraced.I look at my friends and know that I will more thatn likely out life them if I don't get taken out by my job first. Thanks Mahler you really know how to hit close to home.Next year be ready for a huge hug
I changed to that one when the trend of using a real picture of yourself as an avatar. Since most of my comments are smart-ass in nature, I chose a donkey (jackass) to represent me versus a real picture. My wife noticed the similarities right away.
__________________
Those that can't do teach. Those that can't teach consult. Deserve aka Gabe
'8 replies before the gutter! Good job Clubhouse!!!!!' Ninjabookey
Rest and relaxation can be a powerful “nothing” to propel us to greater achievements. Mahler
Stop listening to your wiener. He may want to go for a swim, but you haven't checked if the waters are shark infested yet. Ninjabookey
I sometimes find that non face avatars can say more about a person than the face.. we see the personnality.. or the humour.. not the genetics..
My avatar gives nothing away, I'm sure.
John, great meeting you this weekend and getting a chance to visit! Now that I've seen you in person, I finally have the perfect celebrity look-alike for you... coming soon in a new thread.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 110 – Are We There Yet?
He was literally hanging into the aisle, but I did not pay for half a seat. He then proceeded to scarf down the food he brought before the plane taxied from the gate. We were, needless to say, in constant contact for the entire flight and when I took out my MP3 and listened, I made sure I tapped my left leg to the music so that he was just a little disturbed because it was wedged firmly up against his leg which was fully as big in girth as my waist. I did, however, have a pleasant thought that almost made me laugh out loud. At one point I realized, looking at the enormous differences in our sizes, that I could deadlift this guy. 
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