I started taking tap and ballet lessons when I was five years old, which grew into a lifelong love affair with movement. Over the years, I’ve studied jazz, modern and creative dance, yoga, Pilates, and ballroom dancing. To this day, I still feel incredibly happy whenever I get my body moving and grooving. I always took my ability to be agile for granted until I had to have my right hip replaced. For almost a year I struggled with pain and the inability to walk the way I used to. Whenever I had to travel for my work, my best friend Myra would have to push me in a wheelchair. She would often comment that she felt like she was driving “Miss Crazy”. It did, however, give me an increased ability to have compassion for those who live their lives unable to walk.
Unfortunately, I now am facing having to have my knees replaced. My knee caps have become candidates for the Smithsonian. I know that the good news is that we have come to a place in time where this is possible. I’m sure the future will bring many more advancements . The ultimate irony is that my love of movement is what helped create the problem. I am not one for doing anything in moderation. I jumped, and leaped, and aerobicized to extremes. Ah, youth and the belief that we are somehow immortal and capable of leaping tall buildings with a single bound. However, I must say I am not without hope that when I have two new knees that I will move and groove once again. I know many people who have gone through these procedures and are better than ever. What cracks me up is that I am becoming a bionic woman. Beyond too much movement there is a trend towards too little. Those individuals who have gained a large amount of weight and don’t move much will be at the head of the pack for replacements. Every extra pound puts extra stress on hips and knees. But that information doesn’t seem to influence most people. We are fast becoming “weebils that wobble”. I see a time when humans will resemble beach balls with legs. If there is ever a time to get moving, it’s now. Stop making excuses, get off your butt, and take a walk. You’ll feel invigorated, and less stressed. And why not? You eventually will get your wish to not have to move much. That’s what “Rest in Peace” is all about.