We encounter warning signs all the time as we drive the streets and walk around our towns and neighborhoods. They vary from the gentle yield signs to railroad crossings with their flashing lights and crossing arms that come down in case we don’t heed the warning.
As some of these potential dangers become familiar to us, we sometimes take them less cautiously. We might roll through the stop signs in our little neighborhoods and speed up at yellow lights instead of slowing down. Unfortunately, all it takes is one failed adherence to cause an accident, harm someone else or perhaps even ourselves.
In 2011 I spent Christmas at my in-laws in Ireland. We had a great week of food, beer, socializing and family. On Christmas day, after cooking a feast and gathering everyone together, it was time to take our places at the table. Taking my seat, I went boom right through the chair.
It wasn’t a slow or graceful accident, it was a big crash. My fat backside was on the floor in front of everyone. Not only was I fighting back tears of embarrassment, but half the room showed concern on their faces as everyone felt sorry for me. Wow, what a warning sign!
Did I take this slap in the face and get on my road to healthy? Well, yes and no.
I went home and my wife, Clare, and I signed up for the Wellness Challenge, I started my Facebook page, and I began writing this column. Less than three months later I was down close to 45 pounds. I was off my blood pressure medicine and I was regularly hitting the gym. Metaphorically speaking, I was slowing down at the yield signs and paying attention to the yellow lights.
Unfortunately, as big and embarrassing a warning sign this was I guess somehow it wasn’t enough. Just over a year later I have put back on the weight, find it easy to skip the gym and again am rolling through the stop signs.
Earlier this month I headed to Southampton Youth Services to pick up my three amazing kids at gymnastics. Like they normally do, they wanted to run and play and avoid going home to homework and bed.
My eldest daughter, Emma, yelled to my son, Harry, that the first to make it to the end of the basketball court and back would win. Off she went. Harry, falling behind, broke into a mad sprint. Juliet, my littlest, was chugging along trying to keep up.
Emma was on one side of the hanging tarp wall and Harry was on the other. Neither was able to see the other but they both sensed that this race was close. Then, as they both reached the halfway mark, they made sharp turns and ran right smack into each other.
Emma flew backward out of sight. Harry went down like a shot.
With the length of a basketball court separating me from my hurt children, I broke into a mad dash. Well maybe dash isn’t the appropriate word as the fourth-grader dribbling next to me was moving at the same pace.
The 100-foot run seemed to take forever. The whole time I was heading to them, I was desperate, wondering, “Are my kids okay? Is anyone badly hurt?”
I got to my son on the floor. He was crying and quite upset. My daughter was already back up on her feet.
I rolled Harry over. There was no broken nose, and all of his teeth were intact but there was a nice-sized welt on his head.
“Daddy my tooth is broken,” I heard my daughter yell from behind me.
Then I noticed her tooth lying on the ground next to Harry’s head. Oh no!
Though there was a tooth missing, there were no broken bones or concussions. By the impact I witnessed, I was relieved and felt both were very lucky.
But what if they both weren’t so lucky? What if the length between me and my hurt children was not 100 feet but a half mile?
Could I sprint to their aid? In the shape and weight I am at now, probably not.
Talk about a warning sign. This accident was a big, fat flashing light, with active crossing arms, sirens, the whole shebang.
It’s often said that your weight loss and fitness goals need to be focused on your own needs if you want to be successful. Well the health, safety and well-being of my children (and my being there for them) is what I need to think about while working toward my goals.
I hope to look back on this recent event when I’m 100 pounds lighter and at a healthy fitness level and will be able to say that it was that moment that put me firmly back on the highway to healthy. I’ve already attended my second Weight Watchers meeting of 2013 and am happy to say that I’m down 4 pounds, it’s a good start and one I hope I can build on.
Live life summer inspired.
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