Losing Part Deux . . .

Taking in the view at Mt Macedon

I did say I’d be losing a lot this year: my company just made me redundant. On the plus side, I’m a 31-inch waist size for the first time in . . . erm, let’s say forever. I celebrated by buying a new pair of jeans, and I liked them so much I became giddy, buying a second pair exactly the same. Am now locked in!* The weekend has started well though: Friday night at the gym; up early Saturday for an 18km hike around the Macedon Ranges with two friends, completing 28,000 steps (and two falls on my ass) in five hours. I am now a broken man, hobbling around the flat nursing a sizeable blister, trying to avoid the sultry glances of chocolates and sweets, calling me like sugary Sirens.

Usually, I try to play tennis on a Sunday but may have to give it a rest, along with walking, unless I can fashion up the ability to levitate in the coming hours. I gingerly made it to the gym though and enjoyed/endured a long morning swim, which felt like my arms were towing a dead body i.e. the legs don’t work yet. I had hoped that I could just summon someone to carry me to the pool, reminiscent of a Roman Emperor/Empress. I’m imagining my courtier, Tarquin, suggesting the odd strategically placed fig leaf to hide my blushes, where I would eventually appear as a waddling hedgerow.

Sanatorium Lake, Mt Macedon

Not too sure what to make of the redundancy. It came as a bit of a surprise. I have survived many rounds up until now, yet this one stung a bit. There’s a little Through the Looking Glass about it: here, we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere, you must run twice as fast as that. I have just started a timely audiobook, Pause, by Rachael O’Meara, espousing making time for introspection. Commonly authors are pulling from the same philosophical threads of Socrates, Epictetus, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Steve Jobs, Jeremy Bentham, Viktor Frankl, Seneca etc to provide simple advice: sleep well; meditate; exercise; eat well; never stop doing; never stop learning; support others; and give yourself a fuc*ing break on occasion. With my countless worldwide adventures, I’ve had more breaks than a prison made of KitKats. Either way, am giving myself some days to mull over my options. Whether I take the redundancy or seek employment somewhere else within the company, I know I’ll be fine. I am an eternal optimist, and things will work out for the best either way. To quote Frankl, as I think it’s officially illegal not to, what is to give light must endure burning. Oh good, a rejection for the book just popped in my gmail. Avanti!
 
* No seriously, can’t get them off, send help