27 May 2009

A fork in the road......

Image: webmink

"Do or don't do..... there is no try"
Yoda

I have had an interesting experience this past week, a glimpse into my future if you like. My dearest Ma has been in hospital twice in the last two weeks, her blood pressure through the roof. I've come to stay with The Folks to give support, translate the Dr speech and maybe just maybe give Ma a gentle nudge in a healthier direction.

It got me thinking about me. What I do in life that keeps me from being my healthiest, what choices I make which mean that true change is kept out of reach, and I can see that I'm not that different to my wonderful Ma.

I remember when I was still nursing I often wondered about the road my patients had walked before they got to me. When, if ever, they got an early warning sign of their impending demise, what they did at this time, what choices they made, what areas of their lives they prioritsed. If, given that time again, would they do anything differently, would they stop eating the junk, start exercising, give up the smokes? I often imagined them at a fork in the road, much like the fork in the road my Ma is standing at now.

This morning I went for a long muddy walk out into the bush, it really is paradise here, the green that stretches on for as far as the eyes can see, the streams and rivers, the animals, the calm. There amongst the tree ferns and the still of the morning air I realised I too am at a fork in the road.

I can continue on with my half-assed attempts to get my cholesterol down, my inconsistent eating habits, my sporadic exercise and I will more than probably end up somewhere right about where my Mum is when I'm her age, or possibly even younger. I could take a left, walking down that muddy path into the green, the peace, the calm and alter my destiny, reach that true state of change. I know which way I need to go, which way I will go. Do you?

11 comments:

  1. Id not thought about that...what you said about when you were a nurse and youd ponder the path people took to get to you.
    I thought the same, I think, but not in such clear terms, when I was a personal trainer.

    More what path people were on and how I might facilitate their deciding on their OWN to make a left.

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  2. Best wishes to your Ma. What a great post. As a nurse I am constantly wondering and worrying about ending up in the hospital with a preventable illness. And as yet, I too, am still overweight. Hmmm....

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  3. you have a gift for writing you can do it and take the green road there may be bumps a long the way and obstacles but you will surely overcome! lol Rebecca

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  4. Excellent post! Our choices really determine our destiny. I have finally come to the point where I can take the better road...

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  5. This is a really thoughtful post. I love the image of the peaceful green way...

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  6. i like your quote from yoda!
    i hope your mom feels better. it seems that we all know what we should do, but some changes are so hard to make!

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  7. Thanks all for reading and especially commenting!

    Miz: Oh yes, it really really is about us making our own choices.

    Boudica: We nurses are so good at recognising what other people need, we forget to take a good honest look at ourselves.

    Chow and Chatter: Thanks, I think it's the
    obstacles that help you to become stronger and more determined to keep going.

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  8. Hanlie: Good for you, that better road has such nice scenery :)

    Foodymcbody: I like to think of it as a nice calm relaxing place, makes me want to go there as often as I can!

    Sunny: Thanks. Yoda is a wise old wrinkly little green being, sometimes i think if a change feels too hard it's better to break it down and just take it one step at a time.

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  9. good work berni. One seems to think the words "yo yo" will soon no longer be needed!...more like "go go"
    ;)

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  10. I think I met that fork in the road earlier in the year. When age starts to catch up to you and you can't do things as easily as you used to...it is a bit of a wake up call. I'm currently in a race against my 40th birthday. My thinking is that if I can get in shape and down to a normal weight than I will age more gracefully and live longer.

    I hope you Mum is getting better and you are able to help her.

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  11. Very thoughtful and thought provoking.

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