The Only Way to Really Live is to Get Sweaty

My youngest sister's boys (ages 11 and 9) attended a water sports camp this summer.  They live in San Diego.  They could choose water-skiing, wake boarding, surfing, kayaking, etc. They could do one activity in the morning, one in the afternoon.  It sounds AWESOME!  She said she has never seen them so completely wiped out at the end of the day as they have after this camp!  I say, AWESOME!  City Kids today don't have the opportunity to get wiped out like that physically as much as kids who grew up working on a farm.  Of course, though we had an acre of land when I was a teen, I was definitely a city girl.  Meaning, I didn't have to go out and bale hay or take care of horses or milk cows.  I didn't have to take care of a garden (usually) or even mow the lawn.

I was waaaay too lazy.  My parents tried.  Dad's philosophy was, boys do the outside work (yard, animals, cars), girls do the inside work (cooking, cleaning).  We had a garden very sporadically.  As a teenager I admit I was very adverse to going outside.  I might get dirty!  The dirt and wind bothered my contacts!  I would get sweaty, and I just showered so I did NOT want to get sweaty!

But I learned in college that the only way to really live is to get sweaty.  I would get sweaty in dance class... and it felt good!  I would get a little sweaty just rushing across campus from class to class.  I finally realized it's ok to get sweaty.  It's ok to not look perfect all the time.  You could actually accomplish something if you didn't worry constantly about how you looked.  Being perfectly clean and perfectly coiffed is over-rated.

Why Not?

I love the movie, We Bought a Zoo, staring Matt Damon.  I love what his character, Benjamin Mee says, "You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage.  Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery.  And I promise you, something great will come of it."  I can attest that this is true.

I remember water-skiing the very first time at about age 10.  Our family friend, Ernie Stark, was pulling me in his little boat, and he was so kind and patient, and my Dad was kind and patient.  I was petrified, but I kept saying to myself, "I can do it! I can do it!"  I literally said this to myself out loud!  I was scared of the deep water and the fish and other unseen things in the depths.  Creeeepy!  But I used twenty seconds of insane courage, and got up on my first try (two skis)!

I'm grateful my parents had us try many things growing up.  You just don't know what you can do til you try.  Our oldest son didn't know he could be a sprinter til he found (less than) twenty seconds of insane courage his senior year and did it.  And he beat his athletic cousin!  Proud Parent moment.  Our daughter didn't know she was brave enough to jump off a cliff into the water at Havasupai til she found twenty seconds of insane courage and did it.  Of course, the most important thing we get from these experiences is that we realize....I can do hard things.  I can face scary things.  I am stronger than I think.  Suddenly, our world expands and we see more possibilities in view..  Because, why not?