I was bike riding by the lake this bright Saturday morning, navigating in my lane with hundreds of other Chicagoans going south and observing the many shapes and sizes of the hundreds traveling north.
The lakefront does not discriminate for age, gender, race or physical ability. Occasionally you will observe a warrior expressing frustration with the less capable folks getting their exercise, but generally, one encounters people enjoying their experience.
I found an open bench near 41st Street Beach, dismounted and sat for a few minutes before beginning my return trip north. Two girls in their 20’s stopped at a neighboring bench. They each had put much more effort into selecting the attire for their outing than I had. Each wore form fitting black exercise pants with neon accents and a neon top (one pink, one yellow). The blonde girl had a headband and the brunette wore a cotton band around a ponytail.
Both girls appeared perfectly healthy to me, but I overheard each taking turns making negative comments about their own bodies. Their tone was more than polite humility, almost a preoccupied frustration. It was clear that neither was comfortable with the way they looked.
I don’t know these girls, but I do know their level of current fitness and youthful appearance will likely deteriorate greatly over the next 40 years. As I began the ride back, I found myself hoping that each would find something positive about themselves that would become their focus. Then I flashed back to an experience I had with a friend who lives in Northern California.
I met Gina 40 years ago. We dated briefly, lost contact, then regained our friendship a few years back through the magic of Facebook. She has lived a valuable life as an educator and mentor to at risk youth, a mother and now grandmother. She was following my writing of a memoir, commenting and supporting my efforts as I would draft chapters. When the memoir arrived at her place in my past, she commented about it doing an exercise for a writing club she had joined. Her perspective was heartfelt and moving. She later told me some of her audience was in tears at the end.
Her words follow: Read More
