Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving and a challenge


To all my family, friends, readers, and enemies I would like to say Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope everyone enjoys their food coma and their time with those close to them.

I also would like to issue a challenge.  

The holidays suck for a lot of people.  Many times it's a reminder of loved ones lost, loneliness, perceived failures in life or a career.  

Go out of your way to do something selfless and sacrificing.  It doesn't have to be something that would win you the Nobel Peace Prize, but something that might make that persons holiday season a little brighter, even if just for a short while.  

I've never told this story because I think when you do these things, you don't tell because it shouldn't be to glorify what you have done.  But I wanted to give an example.  

A few years ago we were having breakfast and I noticed an elderly woman who came in.  She sat in the corner of the restaurant alone.  She wore a look of hardship and grief.  I couldn't help but stare and wonder why she looked so distraught.  My wife asked me what was wrong, and I told her.  

When our waitress came back around, I told her that I wanted to buy the elderly woman's breakfast.  But she was not to tell her who did this.  She looked at me befuddled, maybe because people these days don't notice other people or even care, I have no idea.  But she said "ok".  

So I waited until she asked for her check, and saw the waitress explaining to her that someone had offered to pay.  It was an incredibly rewarding feeling to watch the sadness wash from her face and see her smile.  When she got up to leave she walked slowly to the front door, and peered all around, maybe hoping to figure out who did this for her.  But I never made eye contact.  

I can't say who got more out of that, me or her.  But for me, it always feels good to do for others, even at my own expense.  Whether that's time or money.  Unless it involves moving.  And I won't help you move.  I fucking hate moving.  I will pay for your movers before I will move anything.

I have many other stories like this, but again, this is not about propping myself up.  It's supposed to be about doing something to help out someone else.

Obviously paying for breakfast isn't a huge deal.  But at least for a moment she had one less thing to worry about in her life, and that even someone unbeknownst to her cared enough to do something nice.  

As I noted, this is not to prop myself up in any way.  What I did wasn't a big deal.  And that's the point.  Do something that is a little out of your way during the holiday season to make someone else's shitty day a not so shitty day.  Look out for someone that is less fortunate than you are.  This is what men do.  

I hope everyone stays safe and travels well.  

PC

Oh and training the last few days -

Tuesday -
Incline Press - up to 315 x 9, 225 x 15
PBN - 185 x 5,5
Curls and Triceps

Wednesday -
Upright Rows - 115 x 5 sets of 15
Ab Roller - 3 sets of 15

5 comments:

  1. I knew you were not as mean as you look - that's a nice call at the restaurant.

    Happy thanksgiving to you as well fella.

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  2. Well played sir, well played. Was a pretty uplifting story, regardless of how small you thought the gesture was.

    Unfortunately, coming from Scotland means I don't get the same opportunity to eat myself stupid, sucks! Have a good one.

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  3. Great story, Paul.

    Happy Thanksgiving.

    Al

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  4. happy thaknsgiving paul, hey paul i have a ? regarding your 2010 articles on raw powerlifting - squatting, benching, and deadlifting.
    http://www.lift-run-bang.com/2010/10/raw-powerlifting-bench-press.html

    for example on the squat you said start with the 93% rule of a max(95 for deadlift). does that mean that if i have a 330 max deadlift that i have to hit my old pr on my first attempt or at the second attempt?. like 95% of 330 is 315 so is it 315x then 330, then go nuts on the third... OR is it 330(oldpr) 345(110%), third attempt go nuts 365??

    please help me out paul,

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  5. Whatever you need to hit in the meet for your 3rd attempt, you should hit 93% of that in the gym in the last workout before the meet. Make sure you OWN it.

    I will write about this soon.

    ReplyDelete