More Than a Distraction

Mitch Schneider
November 18, 2020

I just finished a 2-mile walk. That sounds a lot easier than it was after four hospitalizations in less than three months. Hospitalizations have a way of beating you up. Especially, when accompanied by a fever of 103.9 like this last one.

It was difficult, but obviously not impossible. Not impossible because there was no way I was going to force Lesley to leave me behind while she ran to get the car and drag my sorry butt back to the house. This last walk was a triumph. The result of a number of shorter walks. Necessary steps on the journey to wellness.

The walk served an additional purpose. It served as a distraction. A distraction from the pain of Shingles Zoster and the effects of the medication they gave me to relieve the pain. Both have a significant impact on your ability to function. Notice I did not say function normally, and that’s what started me thinking about distractions.

You see there are things that you have to do: things you must do. And, things that you want to do. A productive life is all about balancing the two. That, and battling your way through the distractions I was just talking about. I’ve written about the fact that pain cancels technique, but that’s not all it does. It can present itself as a fairly substantial distraction. Especially, when you’re trying to write or record. Especially, when you’re trying to create.

My current distraction is Shingles pain and the impact of the drugs I’m taking. But, I’m willing to bet you are confronting a number of distractions of your own. And, I’m pretty certain your distractions are greater to you than mine fare to me regardless of how large or small they might be. At least, they are to you.

Eat Walk Drink

The question is how do you get past those distractions and the answer is: Eat, Walk, Drink. The answer is finding something to distract you from the distraction! In my case, it was the walk. A walk difficult enough to force me to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, remaining vertical,  and not much else. The determination to finish the walk was my distraction. More than enough to get past the pain and suffer through my distraction.

What’s yours?

 



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