5.21.2010

In the summer of my life...

I woke up today and I felt happy.
I don't know how else to put it.
I felt fan  frippin tastic.

I knew I had to go to the gym today.
I wanted to push myself.
Even if it meant I felt a little pain.
A little sore.
Today I didn't want to work out to lose weight.
I didn't care what my burn totals were.
I wanted to work out to FEEL ALIVE.
I wanted to see what my body was capable of...
So I did a half mile walk.
Then I took off  my shoes and ran barefoot for a mile and a quarter.
Then I walked another quarter mile to cool down.
Then I went inside and got on the elliptical.
I did 30 minutes on that.
Then I got on the stairstepper and did 20 minutes on that.
At the end I was sweating so hard my hair was sopping wet and I could feel the sweat dripping down my back.
Then I went and streeeeetched and streeeeeetched for at least fifteen minutes.
It felt great.

I went home and knew I had to get around to take my scouts to the Denver zoo tomorrow.
They busted their humps and did such a great job.
The money they earned will pay their way and their families way in tomorrow.
So, I had to clean out my van cause we had to pull the back seat up to make room for a mom and her daughter.
So, I am driving down to the car wash and singing along to journey's Don't Stop Believing when it hit me.
What that feeling was..
Summer.

As soon as I figured that out all sorts of things popped into my head.
I felt like I used to feel when I was 10 and the last day of school approached.
How excited I would get to go swimming down at 8 point lake.
How my brothers and I would spend all day in the woods building forts.
How I used to ride my bike for thirty or forty miles a day when I turned sixteen.
The thrill of making it up fire tower hill on my bike without stopping ( It was a mile steep incline that curved up and up...and then at the top you had a two mile downhill that you could coast all the way into lake station).
Running through the grass.
Feeling like anything was possible...
Rafting down the Muskegon river with my mom and my two brothers, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows on the river bank .
We did that once a year
I read a quote on a few blogs about there being an 'invincible summer' in your soul.
Today I felt it.
I don't know if any of you have felt like you had an invincible winter in there, but many times, that is how I felt.
I hope this isn't just a passing feeling, but something that will come around more often.
I feel like I am fifteen again, and that my life has so many possiblities.
It's a feeling I haven't had for a long time.
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Hugs,
Chris

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

:D What an extravagant feeling! Hahaha. Joy arises in my heart just from reading this post. :D

Deb

Retta said...

I loved reading this!! How you described it... the examples that made it real... just wonderful.

I haven't felt this way, really, in a long long time. Your words made it seems so real... and attainable. I look forward to it!

Loretta
=^..^=

Linda Pressman said...

An incincible summer - I love that. I also remember the thrill of summer - the cool nights, playing till dark, and the wonderful freedom of riding my bike down newly resurfaced streets. My daughter asked me today why I don't ever swim. Yeah, there's the hair fix thing, the nose plug thing, but isn't most of it that somewhere I just learned that in my family we just don't wear bathing suits?

This summer - who knows? - maybe I'll embrace the bathing suit. With lots of sunscreen!

Kat said...

Awesome post Chris! I hope you have a great weekend too.

Anonymous said...

Feeling good, Journey playing, what more can you ask for. I think you are right, with the warmer weather coming on, it sure does help the mood.

Unknown said...

I love waking up and feeling that way! :) Hope you have fun at the zoo!!!


One song that I hear that brings me back to FUN Summer memories is DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince SUMMERTIME. I just love that song and when I hear it it makes me have total flashbacks to just out of high school FUN! :) LOVE IT! lol

Cara said...

I love this post :) An 'invincible summer', I really love that part - every once in a while lately I will be overwhelmed with such good feelings, your post describes it all perfectly. I really love reading your blog, it helps me along.

Thanks,
Cara :)

Anonymous said...

Love the rediscovery of summer. So happy for all you get to see and do this year.

Robin said...

I know exactly the feeling that you're talking about. I haven't felt it in a long time, but I look forward to feeling it again. An invincible summer. Great description.

Anonymous said...

Have a fabulous weekend!!!

Anne said...

I felt great just reading this! Thanks...and don't stop believing :)