Daily Baskets

     Rarely, if ever, do I actually write about myself on this (or any other) blog but today will be different. You'll have to forgive me if I seem a little whimsical and funny but seeing all the humorous aspects of my situations has become a habit. Think of it this way- at least I'm not so conceited that I can't laugh at myself. As it is, I can't help it. Laughing out loud at photos of myself, people ask me what I think is wrong with the photo. Usually, if I'm smiling or laughing- it just looks so goofy to me. At any rate, I wanted to write very briefly about my seven year foray into the addition of adding baskets (as in, basketball) everyday along with my daily walk. I've been walking on a daily basis every morning since the summer of 1983 and feel that it has kept me in good shape. Most people mistake me for being twenty years younger than my age so I must be doing something right.

     Back in 2006 someone asked me if I ever played basketball and as a matter of fact I used to try to play basketball with my brother and his friends because we had a mini-basketball court in our backyard and my brother did take the time to show me how to get the ball in the hoop. Well, after getting knocked around quite a bit by boys (most, several years older than myself) I soon gave up. So, seven years ago my mother bought me a basketball for my birthday, at my request. I don't know what she thought of it but she didn't hesitate and it's been my morning routine ever since. One specific thing happened that I didn't realize until I saw a photo of myself. As a matter of fact, it's the photo alongside the header of this blog. My arms suddenly had tone and definition and had slimmed down considerably. This, after I had tried everything I could think of to get the heaviness out of my arms. My workouts had consisted of hand weight lifting involving some exercises I had found in a magazine. Nothing much changed. I added weights to my wrists when I worked out until it felt like my hands were going to fall off. Still nothing. The only thing that worked was baskets and it turns out to be a thousand more times pleasant to do than anything else I'd tried.

     This routine has not been without its trials and tribulations. I've had men come by and insist that they're going to show me how to throw the basketball right. ( While they miss basket after basket, LOL!) Then, there are the kids. They instantly believe that I owe them a chance to try out my ball and generally come close to throwing it in the lake. One old woman's dog tried to gnaw holes in my ball while she laughed at his antics. Needless to say, the dog almost ended up in the lake instead of my ball. I could go on and on but you get the idea. Most people would have given up on doing this with all the adversity encountered. I am so glad I have stuck to my guns and kept bouncing my ball up the street. However, you must connect with the ball. You must become one with the ball. Try using it as a pillow at night.

     Now, I know what you're going to say. Why didn't you make it into the WNBA if you're so good at this- but if you just read the above you'll have to understand that the WNBA didn't exist when I started playing originally and gave up too soon if the truth be spoken. The confidence I have gained from doing this everyday is tremendous. I may look like Phyllis Diller out there for all I know but I feel like Wonder Woman. It's all worth it even if it never puts a dime in my pocket. However, I wouldn't mind getting into some kind of tourney like the one above. Hello ! ! Ka-ching !

     In closing, I highly recommend this for women especially because our upper arms rarely get the kind of exercise that shooting baskets afford. You could try knocking things off of high shelves and trying to catch them but I think that's a whole lot more dangerous and possibly stupid. You might risk looking stupid while you're doing baskets but if you go early no one will know or see and the results will have you not caring how you looked while you were getting there. Grace comes with it eventually, believe me. One day a teen-age boy stopped me and told me it looked like I was dancing from a block away. What do you think of that ?

Two out of three- average,

The Castle Lady