"And just when do you plan to begin?"I received this i-mail right in
middle of a great TV show. During a commercial break some guy with washboard abs came on screen trying to sell me an expensive piece of exercise equipment. I suppose that's what triggered i-mail.
I attempted to ignore intrusion but this never works. i-mail is like e-mail except it doesn't come with a delete button. It's sent internally.
As much as I wanted to continue watching show, I knew I had to answer. "Okay...just what is it that I'm supposed to begin?"
"Getting your body in shape. Remember that promise you made to all of us down here? You were definitely going to get serious about exercising. We've been looking forward to that. You don't know what it's like living in middle of all this flab. Nothing down here really works with any zing."
"Hey...I thought you understood. I can't just rush into something like this. Getting back into shape is a huge goal. It takes planning. Finding right exercises. Scheduling time."
"In other words, you have no intention of starting."
"Whoa. Now you're putting words in my mouth. I didn't say that. You simply don't appreciate what a commitment I'm making."
From somewhere below came a loud snort. "Commitment! I don't think it's even a hazy wish."
"So what do you want? A five mile run every morning?"
"No...but a walk around block might be nice...at least to begin with."
"Big deal. What's that supposed to accomplish except ten minutes of waving at people and trying to avoid Johnson's dog."
"It's called momentum, my friend. That's a wonderful thing when you're going after a big goal. And believe me, getting things in shape down here is a big, big goal."
"I still don't understand how a walk around block is going to accomplish anything."
"Turn off television and I'll explain."
I did so with reluctance. Not that it probably mattered. I noticed somebody had just been killed and I didn't even recognize character. Which meant I was a few miles behind on plot.
