Vitality refers to exuberant physical strength or mental power. Lately, my physical energy has felt drained, which in turn has felt like my mental energy is flushing away as well. This tutoring business needs me to be in top mental form, as this year with 3 grade 12 students, I must read, study, understand, and be able to transmit this understanding to them. So far, I've had to read Albert Camus' The Outsider, which I read in the French language as L'Etranger at university. I've also had to read most, if not all, of Vladimir Nabokov's Pale Fire, which in my honest and humble opinion could be an entire year's, if not semester's, study at the university level. When we get to Othello and Catcher in the Rye, it will seem a piece of cake compared to what we've done so far.I'm stunned at the level of comprehension expected of Grade 12 students in this day and age. I'm also stunned by the topics studied, but then I guess kids at this age are more "aware" than we were in my prehistoric days. I do wonder, though, why kids in their early teens need to read books with themes about rape, sex, and murder. Ah well, it keeps my brain ticking along trying to keep up with them all.
And so, to attempt to get the brain cells working at top form again, I've resorted to joining the local seniors' recreation center and taking a "Fun & Fitness" class 2 or 3 times a week. I guess I'm doing the right thing, even though I feel very clumsy and awkward because of my bad back after that lovely triple fusion. Today in the local newspaper is an article about getting mentally fit by staying physically fit. At class this morning, as I was doing the weights portion of the day by sitting in an upright chair to support my back, I thought "I guess I should keep going with this because I might be in a wheelchair one day and will have to have strong arms to wheel myself around." Hopefully, that's a loooooonnnnggg time in the future. I've been attending this class for about 2 or 3 weeks now, and do find it easier bopping up and down the stairs at home. And, by the way, how do you like my skiing form over to the top right? That's about the extent of my skiing, I'm afraid, but it's fun to look at it and dream!
Here's my take on vitality for this week.
VITALITY
Vitality is bright red, yellow, and blue.
It looks like a jovial jogger ahead of the queue.
It sounds like laughing and screaming on a roller coaster.
It smells like healthy, whole wheat bagels from the toaster.
It tastes like fresh snow on the tip of my tongue.
It feels like frosty air inhaled in the lungs.
Vitality is health and energy through and through.
Continued thanks to Denise Nesbitt for creating and continuing this ABC Wednesday meme. Her group of vivacious, vigilant, and valued helpers will visit each person's contribution and give valuable insight to you. If you haven't joined in yet, please do or consider starting with our next Round in about a month.
25 comments:
Good for you! I just finished a week's break up at the cabin. Just living up there gets me more active. We chopped wood, I worked a bit on some garden pots and went up the hill so survey the damage to my wood border to my garden plot. A side support fell off, but it'll have to wait for Wayne, a post and a sledge hammer for repairs. I can't hog all the exercise. - Margy
My 2nd grader is reading more, and doing more math, especially math, than I remember doing
The linky thing isn't working. It seems to be hid behind a picture.
An excellent poem. Vitality is so important.
WOW you are doing a lot. I find I have to push myself to work out but know i need to for health reasons. UGH aging... BUt you sound SO young and vital. Good for you!!! I love all the energy in your posts and poems, and in your comments you leave me - your ideas, your trials. I love it. Great post!
Great post and poem. I also love the shots of your beautiful city in the introduction on the home page.
I like the line "It sounds like laughing and screaming on a roller coaster." I've never rode on a roller coaster, but that helps me feel what it would be like.
I like the cute little ski picture of you. hehe
You're doing exactly the right thing to keep in shape....I've sorely neglected that and it is very evident both by looking and by doing. I need to get back to work. I do know about the need for upper body strength as I have a bil in a wheelchair. Transferring back and forth from one thing to another makes for wear and tear on the shoulders!
I do wonder why it's necessary for kids to be exposed to such subjects, but they see it on regular tv anymore!
Great poem Leslie, - full of energy. I do admire what you are doing, - how wise to prepare for future days and what they bring. So important to stay aware and creative and moving!
It's great that kids nowadays are being challenged academically. I think for a while there kids were getting away with not doing much. Hope your vitality improves so you can keep up. :))
As a skier...I simply love yours!!!
Keep in shape!
V is for verdigris
Good for you starting up with the exercises.
I need to do that too. Since I have had so much trouble with my knee I have come to a screeching halt.
Hang in there.
I think you are doing such a service to those kids you are helping. Its sad to see their innocence lost so early. Have a great week Leslie and I love your pictures of your city on the link header.
Vitality ! Now that's what I need!!
Hello.
I have to work out every day. I have a Total Gym at home that gives me a total body workout without putting any strain on my muscles (I have a bad back). It's like my antioxidant fix first thing in the morning...by the time I get home from work, I'm too tired to exercise.
Nice write-up. I saw your photos earlier too. They were great. Vancouver looks like a wonderful place to visit.
Thanks for sharing.
For ref:
Violins Of Love
your photo, did you jump this high, or you sat on a glass window?
I've been amazed at the books my highschool granddaughters are reading. Boy, not what I read in the 50's.
I started several months ago working out with a group of seniors at the YMCA. It's covered by my insurance, and I'm really enjoying it. I lost quite a bit of weight during my gall bladder saga before my surgery, and now I feel like I getting toned up. I go three times a week and really enjoying the social aspect of it.
I could never ride on a roller coaster, I'll die lol.
Please come and see the Voyage of the Mermaid. Happy holidays!
Wow beautiful jump shot.
Please inspire me with your comment at my V entry thanks!
If only we could be full of vitality like the image of the girl is! Those were the days, my friend!
Good for you. I joined the exercise class at the seniors' centre down the road 10 years ago and really enjoyed it until they decided to do yoga, which I couldn't do. I don't know why.
Good for you, keeping up with current trends in education. I don't remember for sure what I read in Grade 12 none of it was anywhere near as deep as the books you mention, although I was taking two English courses to qualify at the university entrance level.
My eldest grandnephew graduated from high school this year, and I can't for a moment imagine him reading such books or, if he did stay home long enough to read them, being able to comprehend them. When he gets past the avoid-old-aunties stage he's in now, I must ask him. (Hopefully this is the last of his teenage stages.)
K
Kids had much vitality and yes they have to spent it in good cause or ways.
ABC Wed.
That's the way I ski, too. Exercise is important but sometimes it gets to be almost as boring as housework. LOL Nifty poem and the earlier photos of Vancouver were stupendous. It's been a long time since I visited your city.
Well done, you, and it isn't even a New Year's resolution, either, I am VERY impressed! Oddly enough, I've just read Catcher in the Rye for the first time, my daughter read it for an English assignment -as well as Othello, which I actually also studied at school! I agree, the range of topics our kids are required to cover these days often blows my mind - I gave up offering any help with their homework years ago, I knew when to quit whilst I was still (marginally) ahead.
nice that you could find colors to describe vitality
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