Don't Look, Ethel...
There’s a rumor around the family that I was a third-grade streaker. According to this fake news, I only exercised this habit when the folks were away and the babysitter was in charge. Maybe I have a lingering memory of this embarrassment? Maybe not—could be something my sisters made up. It was the ‘70s after all and Ray Stevens had just launched his album Boogity Boogity—so I’m going to claim I was unduly influenced by the social media of the day.
But I’m not embarrassed about my current streaking habit. My sister-in-law and niece challenged the other sisters (I’m married to one of them) and myself to a running streak—how many days in a row can you run at least a mile? And you have to check-in by text each day when you’re done. Now I do quite a bit of running, but I always take at least two days off a week, so I wasn’t sure about this one. But then I thought “a mile?” How hard could it be to add 5,280 feet to the off days?
So here we are at Day 61. I was hoping the benefits of the streak would include better endurance. Faster times. Maybe…self-actualization?
Nah. None of that.
But I ain’t quitting, and I’ll tell you why. It’s because of the check-ins!
These texts are my daily dose of humor. OK, it started pretty tame. I think on Day 8 someone posted a pic of an 8-ball. Then on Day 10, I posted a clip of Bo Derek running down the beach. “Game on,” right? The ladies got into it on a #12 argument between Roger Staubach (they are all Dallas, born and raised) and Tom Brady. A walk down memory lane on Day 20 with a pic of a bottle of Mad Dog 20/20. OJ Simpson hurdling suitcases at the airport on Day 32 had me ROFL (I’m learning…but shouldn’t it be ROTFL?) Now we’re just starting to push boundaries with the AK-47 pic and an ad for 50 Shades of Grey.
But these texts are also check-ins with family that wouldn’t have happened as often without “the streak.” We know who’s having a good day and who isn’t. We’re organizing our next hike. Sharing Christmas prep. And doing a lot of laughing. I’m not a big telephone guy, but I love these daily bits of family connection.
I’ll keep on streakin.’ Doing it for family!
“Pardon me sir, did you see what happened?
Yeh, I did…I was standing over there by the tomatoes
And here he come
Running thru the pole beans, thru the fruits and vegetables
Naked as a jay-bird
And I hollered over at Ethel…I said don’t look Ethel
It was too late, she’d already been incensed…”