Yeah, that title has a “nails on a chalkboard” quality, doesn’t it? “This is the first day of the rest of your life” is one of those old sayings that used to make me want to pop myself in the eye. I don’t know why I used to get so riled up when I heard or read sappy, self-helpy sounding things. I have a theory: maybe it is because I did not want to do the things I really needed to do to improve myself or change my life for the better. That whole frame of mind can make pithy little sayings rather annoying.
I digress. August 10th is the anniversary of one of the first-days-of-the-rest of my life. You can have more than one? I don’t know the rules, but I am going with that assumption. August 10, 2009, I quit smoking. Apparently what they always said about smoking stunting your growth must be true, because I put on a good 20 pounds after I quit. As kooky and body conscious as I have become over the past ten years, I will still take the 20 pounds of re-couped stunted growth over that crazy, horrible habit any day.
I started smoking when I was 14. By that, I mean I started smoking regularly at that age. I turned my grey crayon into a toy cigarette when I was 5. So, for a good 36 years, cigarettes were the great fixation of my life. I tried to quit more times than I can count. I lied, cheated, stole change from my dad’s change jar- you name it, I did it for cigarettes.
So, what is it about August 10, 2009? Why was this my magic day? Believe me, I have been asked by many other smokers. The answer really is not simple. I did announce my decision on my facebook wall. The outpouring of support was tremendous. I know that has to be the major reason. But it is not the only one.
I did not just ditch cigarettes. I found something else to fill the void that was left when I emptied out those ashtrays. No, it was not food, despite my 20 pound weight “adjustment”. Actually, I started running. I traded one thing I thought I could never stop doing for one thing I thought I could never possibly do.
So, as I started reflecting on all of this, I realized what I wanted to be the focus of this ill-titled blog: change. I am talking about good, tell-fear-to-go-suck-it, change. We are all capable of this. I traded over 26 years of continuous smoking, with 26.2 delightfully torturous miles. I finished my first marathon in October, 2011. Yes, overweight, uncoordinated, me- the girl who spent endless hours in my youth concocting ways to get out of participating in gym class.
I have my sights on a new change. It is a doozy. I am going to get rid of those 20 post-cigarette pounds. I am going to do it the same way I quit smoking. I am going to share my journey- with anyone who feels like paying attention, via this here blog. I am also going to give up my insane, yo-yo eating habits.
So what exactly will the healthy trade be this time? Well, of course I am going to methodically, carefully, honestly look at and change my kooky relationship with food. But, just as I substituted running for smoking, I will be writing, rather than binge eating. I have this yo-yo relationship with writing. I keep saying I want to really start doing it, but something gets in the way. I am thinking, probably, eating. That’s it.
And, if you are thinking, “holy crap, Leslie, I don’t want to read about this every day”, that is cool. The beauty of it all is- you don’t have to. You do not have to unfriend me to escape it- just don’t read it. Cool?
BUT, if you are thinking,” I want to change some stuff too”- come along for the ride. Comment on my blog or my facebook page. Now, I have to go have something healthy and portion controlled for breakfast on this, the next “first day of the rest of my life”. Peace be with you. (and no, I don’t mean that in a religious, churchy way- I just mean “peace be with you”.)
Love Your Life 