Gym

I went to the gym this morning. I have locked myself into a two-year membership to guarantee regular attendance since last month, not to get bulging biceps, but to get a robust mind, robust enough to resist all the surges of dark thoughts in the process of writing a dissertation. I remember Felipe once wanted to write his dissertation on the struggles of a graduate student, but was told that was not a good topic because nobody cared about the struggles of a graduate student. If that is really the case, we nobodies could at least nod at our struggles in our blogs:)

This was my third visit in two months. I had found all kinds of legitimate excuses not to go though the gym was only a five-minute walk from my place. Apparently, the ache of dollars bleeding from my purse could not force me out of my old habit.

The gym was crowded. Many people got a book or magazine spread open in front of them while pedaling away on the machine. I wandered how they could read when their bodies were constantly in motion. Does staring at the beautiful bodies on the page make the transformation into the ideal easier and faster? Or, is this another way of avoiding eye contact with fellow exercisers? Or, maybe it's just me having trouble reading while running.

Why this picture? I wish I could visit the gym with the same joy and persistence as this surfer dog. I took this picture in Monterey. The owner told me they came to the beach everyday, and everyday the dog chased the waves with the same excitement and energy. Nonstop, for an hour.