Variety is the spice of life. As long as it does not lead to chaos. There is something comforting about having a routine. It can also become so boring you just have to break out and try something new.
I was not bored when I started a new thing recently, I did it on advise of my doctor. She thought I needed to have some set exercises to strength my bones. She recommended Curves. I am into my second week at Curves, and am learning to use the machines the way they were intended to be used. Today however, I agreed to try something new in conjunction with the machine workout. I knew in advance what it would be but had no idea it would be so vigorous. It is called Zumba dancing.
It has an African flavor in the music and also in the moves. In any videos, or films I have seen with African dancers, they are all younger people. This should have been a tip off that the workout is not for sissies. But I went into it knowing it was not a piece of cake but would be fun. It was fun, and it was vigorous and I did not do the moves perfectly but hey, I was in there trying!
Our teacher danced like her body was a piece of music. Her flexibility and dancing were impeccable. It was fun to see her and to try to imitate her. However, I am not sure it is for oldsters like me. In Curves the machines and physical tolerance are within my range. The slow exercises which I do as per directed by the Physical Therapist are also within my range of physical tolerance. So, the jury is still out on how long I will follow this new trend. I want to wait until next week and try it again. I am not inclined to give up on something after only one try.
For example, last year I made many attempts to propagate kiwi, both the male an female plants. I was not successful. This year I tried again. Failure. But, I persevered, trying a different method. Now I have both a male and a female plant still alive. One has a green leaf unfolding at the top. The other one is still alive and has the original piece of leaf still attached and it is still green. The instructions I read did not say to put the cutting in water (with a trace of liquid fertilizer). But I have propagated gardenia bushes by taking the bloom and letting it sit in water for a few weeks. I got five gardenia bushes. Two, I gave away. Three are thriving here near my house. So, I thought, if it works for gardenias then just maybe it will work for kiwi.
It is good to try new things, but within reason, and as long as no one is placed in danger. My daughter and her husband took their 26 year old son to Six Flags for a day of fun recently. This trip was the culmination of his two week visit from college. They all had a great time and rode everything there. My daughter got soaking wet on one ride. All three of them had done this before as teens, and it was a great repeat for them. I am pretty sure it is not for me but I was glad that they were still so young at heart.
I am not so sure that my brother at age 85 should have gone sky diving - for the first time. But he did, and survived it just fine. He had a great time and being able to look down on earth was an exhilarating experience . He and our former president George H. Bush have at least two things in common. They both are World War II survivors and both are survivors of sky diving at an advanced age. So, don't allow yourself to become bored or caught in a stale routine. Try something new. You just might be happy that you did.
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