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If You Ignore This, It Will Become the Most Important Part of Your Life
I’ve always had problems with my hips. Even as a teenager in high school, when training for football, I had to run in fields, etc. – if I ran on hard surfaces, my hip pain would limit my workouts. I even changed my spin for discus to a new technique that put less strain on my hips. So I found ways to work around it, but my hips bothered me for years.
Then, at about the age of 40, I injured my right hip. Then I couldn’t run at all. So I didn’t. I would try from time to time, but it never got better, I couldn’t stand the pain, so I just didn’t run. I went to ortho a few times over the years, but I didn’t have time for the repair, so I just found ways to work around it. I could work, I was mostly functional, so fine.
I’ve started to put on weight (because I can’t exercise), so I went to ortho again last week. He told me that I have to fix this: “Look. I know you’re busy, and you’d rather not deal with this. But the hip structure you were born with was not well suited to the sports you played. Now you’ve got bilateral torn labrums which can’t be fixed, but there’s other stuff we CAN fix. Or at least improve. You’ve put this off too long. You’re only 54. You’re already having trouble getting out of a chair. Soon you’ll have problems walking. You have to fix this. You can’t just ignore it. If you try to ignore this any longer, it will become the most important part of your life. And that’s no way to live.”
Which reminded me of a conversation I had with the daughter of a friend of mine recently. She’s graduating from college soon, and when someone asked what she intended to do after graduation, she said something like, “I want to just live my life, and not waste my time chasing dollars. There are more important things in life than money.” Or something like that.
I responded, “Well, ok. But if you don’t at least consider money in your decisions, then you’ll never have enough money. And if you don’t have enough money, then money becomes the most important thing in your life. And that’s no way to live. If someone ever tells you that money doesn’t matter, what they’re really telling you is that they have enough money. They’ve taken care of the money part, so they don’t have to worry about it. You drive a 15-year-old Camry – you’re not rich enough to not care about money yet. Again, if you don’t have enough money, then money becomes the most important thing in your life. And that’s no way to live.”
In general, conservatives don’t care much about politics. We don’t like being told what to do, and we have little interest in telling others what to do. We believe in personal freedoms, personal responsibility, and limited government. Such people do not aspire to careers in government.
And we’re paying for it.
Years of neglecting politics have led us to a place where politics is now the most important thing in our lives. And that’s no way to live.
We tend to lack the busybody gene that would inspire us to run for school board, mayor, president, or congressman. In fact, many conservatives view the desire to win an election as a disqualifying feature of a candidate. We don’t want anybody in that job who actually wants that job. So the majority of the staff of election commissions, city councils, and so on around the country – who do the behind-the-scenes work of government – the vast majority of those positions are filled by those interested in government.
And now, those not interested in government are paying the price. Government has become the most important thing in our lives. And that is no way to live.
I’m limping over to physical therapy twice a week. Maybe my hip will improve. Ortho says I’ll never run or jump again, but if I can get out of a chair and walk pain-free, I guess I’ll be satisfied. I hope my friend’s daughter develops an interest in financial responsibility. We’ll see, I guess. It might be too late for my hip, but it’s not too late for her.
Is it too late for America? Or has the neglect of those who love it most already led us past the point of no return?
Published in General
No. Man, you’ve gotta dial back on the false premise. Washington did not want to president, he fought tooth and nail against it – but saw the need, and filled the gap. He couldn’t get back to Vernon fast enough.
Ironically, you telling people to study more is a study in hilarity.
Really sorry about your condition, Doc. I hope you can find some kind of relief.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read his biography, but that rang a bell. His choices made him unpopular in a city not too thrilled with the Brits.
Discus throwing?
Yeah – that was the first time I broke my school record in discus. It’s also a good demonstration of how NOT to throw a discus. If you’re trying to throw a heavy thing a long way, it’s best to have your feet on the ground. You don’t have much leverage when you’re flying through the air. I had great speed, but so-so technique. I got better over time.
As for the hair, hey, it was the mid 80’s…
I remember you mentioned this some time ago, pre Covid.