shibboleth

I guess I’m not very productive, am I?  One more test (epidemiology), and then Italy and John and GELATO!  I’m going to try to get a good solid hour of studying in, but right now I’m not concentrating, so…

Not to be too terribly cheesy, but I thought, in the spirit of this national holiday I’m missing to be in the most charming city with my partner in crime, I would like to give thanks.  Most definitely, I have a lot for which to be thankful (family, first and foremost–an extremely broad definition of such [y’s included, of course]), but I would like to recognize something new.  I’m truly grateful that I’m able-bodied.

It’s probably no surprise that I should be thinking about physical health in medical school, but being physically able is something I take for granted pretty much all the time.  Yesterday I ran my third half-marathon, yet I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that I didn’t perform better.  In the weeks leading up, I complained of minor physical annoyances, and at one point I even burst into tears (shocker, right?) out of frustration that I might not be able to run the race comfortably.  At PennMed Yoga today, I glanced at my neighbors…during pigeon, the woman to my right was so neatly folded over her crossed leg, I felt myself become envious of that kind of flexibility and agility, a mastery over the details and precise movements of one’s own shape.  God, sometimes I want to slap myself!–give it a flippin’ break.  I mean, my body lets me do pretty much what I damn well please, do I really have to highlight every potentially shortcoming?

For John and my first Thanksgiving in Boston, I ran the Feaster Five in Andover–you finish five miles, you get a free pie–and we ordered sushi.  Among the many annual runners of the race was Team Hoyt.  Talk about inspirational.  If you ever need motivation, just peruse the collection of videos on them on youtube.  Through the use of a computer aid, Rick (the son) once indicated that, if he could do one thing with his body, he would want to push his father through a marathon or iron man, for a change.

Hmmm…not entirely sure why I entitled this post “Shibboleth”…probably because I would like to be curled up at home watching this season two classic episode of West Wing…Paul Revere, a pardoned turkey (named Dillon?  unclear), pilgrims, and Chinese refugees (ooo, almost got that quadruple alliteration thing going)…epic.

In case I don’t get a chance to write much in the coming week, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Thanksgiving.