I was at my annual conference (American College of Healthcare Executives) in Chicago last week. Since I’ve been masked up for 2 years, I assume I’ve lost all natural immunity. No one - including me - wore masks at this gathering of 5000 healthcare executives, and so I caught a cold. I am a bad sick person, and even though I had what most would call a small head cold, I thought I was dying. Also, in the last month my Fitbit watch (Ionic) was recalled because supposedly it could start your wrist on fire; the new one I got tells me that my sleep is not good.* Sigh.
Since I was near death during my illness, I didn’t exercise. When I don’t exercise for a while, it’s really hard to start back. I find this with most stuff. A good friend of mine said he started back bike riding a couple of weeks ago and it was hard. He said it’s probably lung damage from Covid - I (as an empathetic male) agreed, but also thought “you haven’t ridden in 5 months; could be that.” Routine and consistency make for good practice, and practice makes us better.
T.S. Elliot said famously, “April is the cruelest month”**. I don’t think it’s necessarily cruel - but it does force us to be on our toes. April to me is awareness and rebirth. It’s messy and unforgiving. It stirs the body to get back to work. Let’s use this month to get up and move. And if you have been hibernating for 2 years - get up, get out, and enjoy life.
*I asked my Alexa device if I snored - she said “not in the last 24 hours” … she’s listening to me when I sleep??? Not sure if I’m good with this.
**April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain
-T.S. Eliot, “The Wasteland”
