It's that time of year again, Co75ers: the one where we former and current Risonians start our diet plans. Actually, some of us started right after Halloween ... in preparation for eating like pigs at Thanksgiving and Christmas, only to return to dieting after the New Year.
In deference to the Season, I joined an "exercise club" recently (funny, but "club" used to mean something entirely different). This is the one that you've seen advertised as the "ten dollar fitness club." It's true, for what it's worth. For only 10 bucks and some change each month, I can take my iPod, don my dingy, red Titleist golf cap and, with way-too-white legs, go about a block from my house and pretend to get a workout. For $5 more, I can even pretend to get a tan. Believe me, tanned, shiny legs on a fat 51 year-old doesn't help.
My thoughts about exercising always seem to increase in frequency around the holidays. Yours? I mean, I start eating stuff around Halloween and the rampage doesn't end until a week after New Year's Day. And each time I come out of my sugar coma, I awake to see Eva Mendez or Brad Pitt or Angela Jolie or Hugh Jackman on the 'tube and think (ridiculously) that "I could look like that again..." Sugar overdose does funny things to your mind.
I have to admit, however, that Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday. Halloween? Take a hike! The last time I cared about this "pseudo-holiday" was in the 1970s when we actually did fun things on Halloween night. (Okay, it was fun for some of us...you gotta admit flaming bags of poop does have a humorous side). Christmas? Forget about it. We've lost the meaning long ago - thanks in large part to Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc, etc. Try as I might to put meaning back into Christ-mas, the Spirit of Consumerism is always there to remind me to buy more stuff. I am, however, using this holiday to do more meaningful things each year - so maybe some of the real meaning will eventually return...
But, Thanksgiving? Absolutely! Family, Food, Fellowship, Friends! The Big Four! Isn't that what the holidays are supposed to be about? We used to return home to Rison from college or work to see old friends and family, to feast on turkey or ham or other family favorites, to catch up on the latest, answer the same questions from the same family members and fall asleep on the same favorite couches in the same favorite positions. It was a "drool-tide" favorite!
Thanksgiving always seemed to be the "purest" of the holidays, one where our intentions were more honest. Besides, you can't get more honest that a big 'ole fat Butterball turkey.
At any rate, Season's Greetings to you all...and I'm curious to hear your favorite holiday memories!
-Ken
