After my last melodramatic post, I feel relieved to be moving forward. One of the things that helps you to succeed in anything you do is having the right tools.
It’s apropos that I am writing this during the Christmas season. This is because of a memory of my first one as a married man.
Before I was married I did works with tools. I recall taking out the radiator out of my car and replacing it. Before that taking apart and assembling my bicycle on a regular basis. I also worked with wiring for my stereo and electrical connections. Outside these cases I was not involved in any major projects. That is unless you call a bongo board made in shop class in 8th grade a major project. In other words, I really did not have any tools of my own.
Interesting thought, I think back to all the gifts we received when we were married. I don’t recall getting a hammer, a screwdriver set or any tools for that matter. I just remember many kitchen goods and an overabundance of fancy glassware. I mean, was I real supposed to swoon over that I received expensive glass gifts of the brand Baccarat? If you ask me, a tool box loaded with all the essentials would have made a better gift.
This leads me to today’s story. We went out to get a Christmas tree for our apartment. I don’t recall if we had already bought the base or if we purchased it when we got the tree. Either way, we got the tree home somehow. Probably, used the Toyota Starlet since it was a hatchback. Upon getting home I learned that I had to give the tree a fresh cut or it would die quickly. I had never had a real tree before because I was allergic to them. I had no idea, now I was going to learn the hard way.
This is 1987, so the stores are not open after 6 PM for the most part. Tools are what I would need and I could not get a saw at 7-Eleven. I had to do the job with what I had. Guess what? It was not fun and it took me over an hour to do it with just a screwdriver and a steak knife. It apparently was later than 9 PM or surely, I would have gone to my brother’s house and borrowed tools. I was extremely unhappy with the situation but one thing I am not, is a quitter. I got it done and decided that would never happen to me again.
You are probably wondering by now why am I sharing this story? The reason is since I have invited you along on my journey to get healthy I have to point out that having the right tools is the right foot forward.
In October, I weighed 201.50 pounds. I know, a shocking admission. I was fed up and acted. I bought a stowaway treadmill for the apartment and a Bluetooth scale. I started tracking my exercise and food intake again. I joined Noom two weeks ago and got a new Fitbit Versa 2. These are not necessary, but the better the tools you have the easier it is to persist in the job at hand.
This morning I am proud to say, I weighed in at 192 pounds. My short-term goal is 185 pounds. I am a little over half way there. It is not going to be easy with Christmas, Vacation and New Year’s Eve in front of me, but I am determined and with my toolbox, I am certain that I will keep the weight off and hopefully lose some more.
I am a happy man today. I may not be at either my short or long-term goal yet. But I am getting there.
