The long way around.
Do you ever sit back and ask yourself why you choose the long way around for some things?
About half way into my deployment to Iraq, insurgents blew up a bridge we had been crossing that took us around Lake Al Habbaniyah on our way to the main services roads to get to Ramadi, Fallujah and Baghdad. It was definitely the long way around but it was considered by analysts to be less dangerous than the route through the city of Fallujah, so of course we took it. I added at least 2 extra hours to each mission without troubles like IED’s or small arms fire and traffic. After the bridge exploded we were forced to go through Fallujah at night. The place was a trap for sure. High buildings towered above the street, perfect places for snipers hole up, the streets also had civilian foot traffic which made it even more difficult to maneuver. When we made it through there without incident, what used to take 2 hours to get to camp Fallujah now took about 35-40 minutes from gate to gate! We were all super happy of course to be able to get the mission done faster and get from FOB to FOB in a timely manner, even if it meant it being a bit more dangerous and for what it is worth after the first couple of missions, it didn’t seem any more dangerous than the other things they had us doing!
I am currently on a round of KETO to lose some weight and it struck me that I have put myself through this so many times now. Its like I can see where I want to go, its this short little path but instead of taking it, I choose to go all the way around some sort of obstacle to get to where I want to end up. Is it just too dangerous to go the short path here? To make the change?
I have struggled with weight gain and weight loss for most of my life and back in 2018-19 I did something about it and was really rocking it just before COVID hit. I had lost about 80 lbs. I had started my journey at 298 lbs and ended it at 218. I was on top of the world! Enter pandemic, and the world was turned upside down. I tried to keep my steps in, but sitting and sitting and sitting was the norm. While I was sitting, guess what I was eating. I was telling myself all along the age old excuses, you’ll get back to it, at least your aren’t almost 300 lbs Shawn! People don’t care how much you weigh, they love for who you are. Have that extra beer and that extra tortilla chip bro! Live life, I mean it could end at any minute! Now I know people who truly love me, will do so no matter how much I weigh. I know that life is short and that I should live while I have the chance. But there is something here that I need to say for me.
How much do I really value myself if I have the extra beer or extra chip. How much do I really care about those around me if I let myself go, have a heart attack or something like that? Well, the answer is I struggle with how much I really value myself. I think we all do. I started this KETO again about 5 days ago, am seeing results and am beginning to peel away things and see someone I like. I know it might seem a bit shallow to worry about such things when things in Ukraine are like they are and that people all over the world are starving to death and our economy is nose diving and our gas prices are through the roof but I needed to say it for me. I am not much good to anyone if I am not much good to me.
The same goes for you friend. Take the time to value you. You matter. Even if it is the long way around. Take the trip, find your happy place once again. See you on the journey!
