September 19, 2021

Proceed to the Route


What is the most important invention in your lifetime? I saw this question posed online recently and had to give it some thought.  The personal computer and its successor, the smartphone, immediately came to mind. Both were touted as products that would increase productivity and free up leisure time. And they have, in fact, increased productivity by allowing us to shop from the comfort of our beds and by offering instant access to arcane information.  Alas, much of our time is spent using these tools in non-productive ways that have isolated us and made human interactions increasingly impersonal.  But there is one modern invention that has increased productivity and enabled people to come together: the Global Positioning System, or GPS for short.

The idea for GPS originated during the Cold War after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I - the first man-made satellite to orbit the earth - in 1957.  Today, the GPS consists of 31 satellites owned and operated by the United States. The system attained Full Operational Capacity in April of 1995.  Initially, the highest quality signal was reserved for use by the military, with civilians having access to an intentionally degraded signal.  In 2000, President Clinton signed a directive granting civilians the same military-grade access.  In 2004, Qualcomm became the first company to successfully use active satellite tracking on a mobile phone, which was the beginning of the end for hard-to-fold paper maps and wives begging husbands to stop and ask for directions.

Like many things operated by the federal government, GPS isn't perfect.  It will occasionally steer you to the wrong location or lose its connection.  When the signal is lost, mobile GPS devices will often respond with the playfully confounding statement, "Proceed to the route."  Many find this irritating because the purpose of GPS is to get us to the route.  Or is it?

Maybe "Proceed to the route" is the system's way of telling us to get our act together and be active participants in the process.  We rely heavily on technology, but should we expect it to take care of every little detail?  


Taking it a step further, consider "Proceed to the route" as a call for action that suits any occasion:

Don't feel like exercising today?  Proceed to the route! 

Procrastinating on that home improvement project? Proceed to the route!

Waiting for just the right moment to escape from that uncomfortable gathering?  Proceed to the route!

Not only does GPS have the power to bring people together but it does so efficiently by providing the shortest routes calculated by distance or time.  As we all know, time is short.  And as we get older, time becomes more valuable than money.  With everything going on in the world today, our futures are uncertain.  So whether you're planning to connect with friends, search for that new job, or chase your passion, all you need to do is set a course and proceed to the route.







September 08, 2021

If The Hat Fits ...


I went to a ball game recently and spotted a man wearing a snapback cap adjusted to its maximum.  This triggered a flashback to youthful days playing baseball and the mild anxiety I experienced when hats were handed out. I never knew - until it was on my head - how the cap was going to fit. Two snaps were acceptable; three were ideal.  One snap was intolerable because it would allow the bands to flex.  I also had to stash the largest batting helmet to prevent teammates from using it. I once had a Little League coach who wore his cap with no snaps fastened.  To this day I don't know if he had a large head or just didn't give a damn.

The ideal solution is to wear a fitted cap, but beyond a certain size, they can be difficult to find, and they are not cheap.  Years ago I was shopping for a cowboy hat in a western-wear shop.  The kid helping me loudly announced, "This guy needs a seven-and-five-eighths!"  The manager quickly shushed his salesman to ensure the other customers would not be terrorized by the horror of a giant cranium.

And in case you were wondering, a snapback with excessive overlap is just as bad.  In this case, at least, the offending excess can be snipped off to improve the look.  Surprisingly, I found a modern snapback that I can actually wear with confidence. Hopefully, my head hasn't shrunk.


                          
                    too tight
just right
                           

With today's caps, there are multiple sizing options available. Choices include hook and loop (aka Velcro), adjustable strap, buckle closure, and flex-fit.  Of these, the flex-fit style provides the cleanest look.  Nobody should ever wear an ill-fitting cap again.

                           
                     hook & loop
adjustable strap









                                 



                        
                        buckle closure
     
flex-fit

It's no secret that I have a large head; I talk about it frequently.  Cranial girth is a family trait, known among siblings as "the family head".  The phrase is used facetiously, for example, when someone struggles to pull on a t-shirt: "It's the family head!"

My skull has an affinity for nearby objects.  Like a planet with its own gravity, it attracts shelves, car doors, and automated tellers.  I once struck my head on the overhang of an ATM as I leaned in to see the screen on a blindingly sunny day.  I was making a withdrawal, but not without depositing some skin.

Our heads sit precariously atop our unsteady, upright bodies; shielded from below but exposed and vulnerable from above. It's how we evolved; it's what makes us human. We have thick skulls, but that doesn't mean we have to be numbskulls. Life is short: Wear a hat that fits!


Heading to the bank!











September 01, 2021

Balance


I am wearing shorts here.
For the past few months, my typical workout has consisted of a run around the 'hood with stops at local playgrounds for bodyweight exercises on the climbing equipment. But near the end of July, I came up gimpy with a sore left knee so I decided to focus on strength training until the knee was better. Then, while doing an exercise with dumbells on the lawn, I strained my knee to the point that I couldn't put any weight on my leg.  So I used a cane to get around for four days.  And that's how I ended up doing 5,000 pushups during August.

I'm no stranger to push-ups; I normally do about 100 per week as part of my training regimen. But after reading about a pushup challenge, I decided to see how far I could go.  I did pushups on nineteen days ranging from 150 to 450.  I also found that I could use the recumbent bike without pain so I totaled about seven hours of spinning as well.  Heading into September, the knee feels better but I won't be running just yet.

At a recent shindig, I had the good fortune to meet a young man who is studying physical therapy.  He heard about my knee injury (from someone else) and despite my honest attempt not to pump him for information, he insisted.  The leg is a kinetic chain, and an imbalance anywhere along that chain can cause pain.  So now I'm working on strengthening my gluteus medius and left arch, to prevent my leg from collapsing inward.  In the meantime, I'll continue to use the bike for cardio and quads, and will be adding a rack to the home gym so I can do bodyweight stuff without leaving the house.

Some will tell you that I take things to extremes; I call it passion.  I do like to keep a figurative pedal to the metal, but I need to remember to pump the brakes once in a while.  So I'm going to vary my workouts, to ensure that I can continue to workout with passion. 

This is a needed reminder that life is a balancing act.  Whether it be work, family, booze, food, or exercise - or any combination of these - it's best to find a balance.