I will be the first to admit that I have given Lisa a lot to worry about over the years; after all, I was a self-employed contractor most of our married lives. You would think that she would be used to a bit of uncertainty by now. After all, it was she that left me home alone for the week. This morning, Lisa, our son and oldest daughter went on a vacation without me. Yes, it’s better that way. Still, I can see the worry in her eyes! Will he be okay? What will he do if…?

Earlier this week, my back started bothering me. I still don’t know the cause, but it felt like I tried out for the Olympic weightlifting team but wasn’t good enough to make it to Rio. After three days, it still hurt. On the smiley face scale that doctors use to rate pain, clearly I was grimacing. I was getting a little concerned, and knowing that Lisa was going to be gone for a week, I thought I would ask her for some advice. Maybe, I started the question all wrong; “Hypothetically speaking…” the question began “…how long should I wait…to see a doctor?” That set off all her alarm bells.

Over the years, I have had to live with various levels of discomfort for extended periods of time. I am not an alarmist. Sometimes you just need to suck it up, take a few more ibuprofen, and get on with your life. Actually, that is my approach to most things that are medical related. Lisa knows that, yet for some reason, she thought my “discomfort” merited a trip to the hospital. Our 14-year old son took her side. I told her that a trip to the ER was a bit over reactive. After some reassurance on my part, she relented; no trip to the ER! Her worries didn’t go away and I could still see it in her eyes this morning.

Not long after they left for the airport and I loaded my bike for a ride down by the river. Not only was I still sore, I was crabby because I was sore. So the ride started out slow, the title to an old Foghat song stuck in my head. My attitude was all wrong, I was uncomfortable and I wanted to go back home and sit in a chair. But I didn’t, instead I took my own advice, … suck it up, take a few more ibuprofen, and get on with my life. It wasn’t the ibuprofen that relieved the discomfort in my back, it was the change in my perspective. About 10-miles into my ride, my attitude changed; I looked around the tree-lined trail that followed the river. It was a beautiful summer morning, the temperature was perfect to be outside and I was able to do something I enjoyed doing. Sure there was still discomfort but it was no longer consuming my attention; my attituted adjustment helped my look beyond my current condition.

Deep down, once she gets past the worry, I think she knows I will be fine. After all, I know where the three nearest emergency rooms are, I know that I can’t eat a quart of ice cream in one sitting, and if by chance a few friends stop by with a barrel of beer, I know how to share!

If you feel so inclined, please drop her a note on Facebook letting her know that I will be fine. Just leave out the part that you saw me running with scissors!

Thanks for reading, liking and sharing.

Al Van Dyk and his faithful sidekick Ivy the wonder pup.

Just a thought, if you can name the Foghat song, I will send you a copy of an eBook written by someone famous free of charge. Mine isn’t finished yet, so I will have to re-gift one that I already read.