Health | BulgingButtons

January 18, 2014
by BulgingButtons 13 Comments

Deferred Maintenance

It’s early Saturday morning, the start of a three day weekend. I should be nestled under the covers, snoozing away, but instead I’m here, checking on the service hours of my auto shop. I should have done that ahead of time. They opened an hour ago. I should have been there at that time. I was asleep.

You see I’ve been driving with a “check engine” light on for the past week or more and I need to take the car in. I know it’s just for an overdue oil change, but those oil changes are important. I understand that, and yet I keep driving that poor car and telling myself that it’s just a few more miles, and I’ll get the oil changed soon. Wrong approach. I know this. Now I’m up earlier than I would like and I’m about to head out on this chilly morning to finally take care of business. Still, I’m procrastinating, telling you all about this exciting event rather than just doing it. Why do I do this?

It’s not just the poor car, either. Right next to me on the desk are two cards that I received in the mail. The first is from the dentist’s office. They miss me. The second is from the vet. They miss my dog. Again, just routine stuff, a cleaning, some vaccinations, basic maintenance issues. I must make those appointments.

I wonder why I do this. I would never deliberately damage my car, harm my dog, or wreck my teeth, but by not maintaining them properly that’s what I’m doing. I do it with my health too. I’m overdue for a lab appointment, and I’m dreading going in.

I think I know what’s going on here. I blame it on being busy, and honestly I AM busy, but that’s not the whole story. I think I’m afraid of bad news. I don’t want to know that there’s a huge repair that needs to be made to the car, or that my cholesterol level has gone back up, or that I have a new cavity. I’m like the ostrich with its head in the sand. What I don’t know won’t hurt me. However, as we all know, that’s a lie.

It’s time to get going and face the music. Or the Muzak as the case may be. I think that’s what they play in the waiting room of the auto service center.

January 11, 2014
by BulgingButtons 15 Comments

An Empathy Boost and Reminder

Way back when, I started this blog with a post about an inspirational young man named Ryan, whose story I watched on Extreme Weight Loss. In a nutshell, he was in an accident and lost an arm. He lost confidence, gained weight, and ended up working with Chris Powell on the show to get healthy and fit. It’s a great, uplifting story.

The take away for me was if he can do it, so can I. Great message, but I still haven’t done it. Then again I don’t exactly have Chris Powell as my roommate, but that’s another post for another day (or maybe not).

Fast forward to my recent vacation in Hawai’i. On our cruise there was a couple that we bumped into several times. They were at least a decade older than me, and they got married in Maui on the second day of the cruise. They were a friendly, outgoing couple clearly in love with life. They did have to do some things a little differently though, because, as he said, in a match of motorcycle vs. semi, the motorcycle seldom wins. One of his legs was prosthetic and the other was horribly damaged. It was clear where large areas of tissue had been removed. Hawai’i is warm this time of year, and, like most everyone else, this gentleman wore shorts.

We went on several excursions and these folks were there with us. He used a scooter for long distances, but could walk short distances and up and down the steps of busses and vans. Yes, it took a little longer, and I imagine that there was a fair amount of frustration and even pain involved to get and out of vehicles and around to different sights, but there was always a smile and a joke.

I think the universe is trying to remind me. I saw it before. I got the message. I just haven’t acted on it. I have all my parts in reasonably good working order. These men that I admire do not. Do they let that stop them from being active and achieving goals? No. I shouldn’t either. Thanks, universe, I needed that reminder.

January 9, 2014
by BulgingButtons 20 Comments

Please Stop By

I admit it, I’m sick and my content today pretty much sucks. Sappy 70’s songs from am radio? Songs that I don’t even particularly like? Really? Yes, that’s what I came up with for today. So sorry.

My nose is stuffy, my throat is killing me, my hands are frozen, and my head is on fire. I’m feeling like poop. We’ve all been there, and it’s not a fun place to be. In between naps today I put up my horrible 70’s flashback in hopes that someone, anyone, would stop by to visit me. Few of you have. Sniff. I swear I’m not contagious over the internet!

This reminds me of a time back in the days when I was a candle lady. I did at home parties for one of those companies, and I really did love their products. I enjoyed doing the shows, meeting new people, and sharing decorating ideas. One year, as the holidays were nearing, I had some extra product and decided to do an Open House. I made up adorable flyers, I let all of my contacts know I was doing it, and I went around the neighborhood personally handing out the invitations. I set up a beautiful display in my living room, put out large signs in the neighborhood, and waited. And waited. And waited. Not one person showed up.

I felt like such a loser. That’s how I feel some days with this blog. Why don’t people stop by? Sometimes it happens on days when the content is a little iffy, like today, but other times I feel like I’ve written a whiz bang piece, and nobody takes the time to read it. Of course the flip side is true too. How many times have there been lots of visitors when there isn’t even anything new to read? Not that I want to discourage anyone from stopping by at any time. There’s plenty to sift through on the blog, and I imagine that I’m the only one who has actually read every post, so there should be something “new to you” even if there isn’t a new post.

So there you have it, my invitation to you to keep BulgingButtons in your bookmarks, and to stop by often. Please comment, good or bad, and I’ll do my best to get back to you quickly. Without readers like you, there isn’t much point to blogging.