FIFTY “50”

Fifty, what a seemly large number at one’s point. I kinda like the way it comes out in Spanish. Cincuenta, which broken down is “without count”.

When we are but children reaching the age of 50 seems like an eternity away. Then as it comes closer some of us wonder how we will embrace that up coming milestone. Will we be there, how will I be, where will I be. There are many who have never seen the sun rise on a 50th year of life, while the Bible tells of those who have lived as long as 300 years.

Three years ago I posted on Facebook that I planned to dance a merengue on the top of the Empire State Building, for my 100th birthday. Some people laughed, and simply thought it was just a wild idea. We must live our lives with goals, and dreams to reach as each day of life goes on. This was to become a new goal, a new challenge to hit.

Follow me on the first steps of this goal, as I prepare to celebrate the completion of only the baby steps of hitting this goal.

I realized that this goal would have some serious cost to getting there. Not just staying alive, but staying healthy as well. When I was 20 years old I’d get home in Corona, NY and run from 108th street and Roosevelt ave down to 48th street and back. Now for those who don’t know in NYC 20 blocks equals a mile. so I was doing pretty go. I played paddleball every weekend, and lived reasonably comfortable.

Due too long hours at work, running came to a halt. My health was still pretty good, so it wasn’t too bad to stop running. However by age 29 when I decided to try to start again. A very ugly wake up call came. I ran ten blocks and there was a horrible itch on my legs. So after hours of finding no solution to this, a hospital visit was too come. After all the test, I was told that the circulation in my legs had gotten so bad, and I should just not even think about running again. Oh well I thought I can still play baseball, paddleball, and do just about everything else. No Biggie.

But when things start going down, we need to beware that other things may start down that path as well. As so it was. I went from 130 pounds to 164, pants size 29 to 34, and the final kicker, blood pressure went from an average of 90/60 too 140/92.  GOOD MORNING WORLD!! Here was the wake up call.

Blood Pressure reading 10/13

So a weight loss program had to be reached, and a plan out too work. FAST. I had all the medical knowledge to correct these issues, now I just had to get to work.

I promised myself that before I hit my fiftieth birthday I was going to correct this! No if ands or buts about it.

I started exercising as mush as I could. Along this way I met a friend, and her husband. Alma And Don Cundiff gave me the clue to fulfilling this dream. They introduced me to a product called ZIJA. And more to the point Zija’s XM Plus. For the past few years I have been taking one bottle of this every morning, and trying to eat only those things that were healthy. Over the past three months, I made the plunge to only eating what I cook. And long behold, the first piece of the dream manifested itself. I could no longer fit right into my pants. I was back to buying 29 waist pants.

So I decided to try a few other things. so the guys at Planet Fitness, in Lexington became my cheering section. As I stepped on a treadmill, scared that the circulation in my legs would end me in the hospital again. So they watched and I ran for 15 min with NO pain, NO itch, just lots of sweat. COOL, I was almost back.

Facing the doom of that birthday on the 21st of October, I became scared that I wasn’t going to make it. Even with the blood pressure meds it wasn’t coming down to where I waned it. But I knew that the weight had to drop in order for the pressure to come back down.  Two weeks I walked into a Rite Aid store, sat on the blood pressure section and long behold the reading read, 97/67! I knew I had to find a scale soon.

When I finally found a scale, since Planet Fitness has everything except. (lol) I got on it with all the fears and began to glow as the displayed showed 127!

The country music song writer worried about his next 30 years. I am ready to face my next fifty years, healthy, fit, and strong. There are many, many things to change and better, but I’m ready to face them now as I step out this morning and say, Happy Birthday, ME!

So thank you to those who helped, maybe by simply just saying the right words, or getting to try something that really would work. But Thanks to the great example for life that came from Mom, and Dad. The guidance of great teachers, and classy folks who cross ones life.

So where are you in your travels? Are you ready too, or making plans that far ahead? Make your life great for you, and those around you. But remember to LIVE.

So follow me, or better yet chase me if you can. I dare you. Better yet I double Dog dare you to try to live happy, healthy, and dance at my 100th birthday. I’ll be looking in the rear view mirror to see if I see you.

Catch me if you can

It will feel great to celebrate my 50th birthday today. I hope to smile, and enjoy. The memories of those who have gone to rest will live strong, and the love from those friends and family members. Will help guide and walk with on this journey. Don’t ever let your dreams, ambitions, or desires go by the way side.  You can do what ever you set your mind to!

Thanks for reading!