Men

It finally happened. Some presumptious man thought that his beckoning hand would interrupt my morning job. I couldn't even believe it. I'm sure that he was not at all thinking about my heart rate, my speed, the fact that I was already late. Nevertheless, it was ballsy of him to risk the inevitable rejection. Good for him - he's got balls! But he does not have my number.

Invisibility

Why must people pretend to not see the color of my skin? I am not defined solely by my skin color, but it is an important part of who I am. Political correctness, the desire to be color blind, or whatever else you want to call it, it's offensive. I am a proud African-American woman, and to pretend not to notice is to deny an important part of my identity. Please don't do that. And don't raise your kids to feel uncomfortable mentioning or acknowledging that someone looks different from them. It makes it seem like difference is somehow bad or wrong, and they will grow up and be the kind of people who think they're being sensitive by not acknowledging the fact that the Black woman in the room is the only one who doesn't look like everyone else. It's ok - I'd rather be different than invisible.

Day 1

Today was my first day at my new internship, a place where I will spend about 24 hours/week for the next 9 months. Last year my internship was just north of hell, but I survived, with 3 hopefully lifelong friends and a lot of important lessons. And hopefully, I made at least a small difference in the life of a child. This year promises to be a big improvement. People who take their jobs seriously, who really believe in what they do and genuinely want to help traumatized children & families. It's funny how your path can bring you to a place (or an idea or a person or whatever) where you feel like you are supposed to be, even though the way that you got there is often circuitous and far from pleasant. But, if my path was different, would I be the same me? No, I don't think so, because my experiences have shaped the person that I am and am becoming, and I am grateful for that person. A bad internship gives me a greater appreciation for what I hope to be a good internship. Bad relationships hopefully help make better future relationship decisions. You get the picture.

On another note, although this blog is no longer a 'fitness' blog, I do need to lose some weight for sure! I am trying not to make the mistakes I made last year, which led me to gain about 25 lbs, leaving me at a current net weight loss of 25 lbs (I've lost a few of them). But I'm having a hard time falling into a weight-loss groove, for whatever reason. I haven't figured out how to do all the things I need to do (tracking my calories, preparing my meals, pre-calculating my caloric intake for the day, etc.), but I need to do it quick fast and in a hurry before I look up and another 6 months have passed by with me at the same weight. But, I am in the gym, running, and feeling good about what I can do in the weight room and out on the road. The glass is half full!

Change

Since everybody seems to be talking about change lately, I decided to join the party and change my blog. What was 'Rebecca's Fitness Journey' is now 'The Pursuit of Balance'. That doesn't mean that my fitness journey has ended, it is (as it always was) a part of a pretty full life, and I wanted to allow myself the freedom to talk about other things, not as a sidenote to fitness but as a part of my overall life journey. So, I guess I'll be writing about my political views (my brother will love that), my weight loss/fitness experiences, my social views, my personal life (not too personal though, cuz... just cuz), and whatever else strikes my fancy at any given moment. Stay tuned!