The Visible Woman...July 27, 2003

A day in which I ponder that most success is just repetition...whether it's exercise, an online journal or a desire to reach a religious nirvana.

You hear it all the time...people say that someone exercised religiously or that some woman author wrote every morning, religiously. What is meant, of course, is that they just keep doing it.

Apparently, we believe that getting next to god (or God or the gods) is a matter of persistence. Thus, my American Heritage dictionary gives this meaning:

I think what we mean when we say religious is that we go to lengths to make sure we do something over and over. Religions require frequent prayer and, generally, attendance and devotion at some place where money can be collected and time spent having the leaders indoctrinate the population a little. This is not to disparage any religion. Although I do realize (and you should, too) that religions are a seat of power and require thereby money and devotion. Religions based on individual acts, unsupervised by leaders with something to gain, just don't get the power. Where would it come from? What if my religion said: "There is a god who expects us not to harm others or their property, to do some good in the world and, if we do, whether or not we believe in a higher power or have designed and built rituals and buildings of worship then we will die and live in bliss for eternity." There is no way to gain power with that...someone could write books or give speeches about it for money but I'm guessing the philosophy just wouldn't make the talk shows.

It has come to my attention that I have been doing two things religiously. Writing. (Ha, you say, you never write...it says so below. Au contraire, my friends, I write the journal. But I can hardly report that as progress in the writing section. Too self-referential.) Yes, writing the journal religiously. I don't say much but I type. I set up the days to link to one another. And, as surely as time passes, I write something.

The other thing I've been doing religiously is exercise. This was brought home by not doing it...yesterday and Wednesday. Since I'd been doing something in the fitness area almost every day when I wasn't traveling, not doing it seemed off and out of form. Even though I was on my feet, putting the house and yard in order for hours, bending and stretching and carrying. Not exactly sedentary.

Generally, I exercise religiosly. Since I retired. The result has been steady weight loss, better flexibility, fewer sore joints, better general health and the ability to feel some muscles below the fat.

I remember when I was trying to learn to play an instrument (I was not religiously devoted to practice)...I had some exercises that had little sayings at the top of the sheet music that were meant to inspire constancy of practice, practicing religiously as it were. One said, "Repetition makes reputation." I remembered that long after I forgot how to finger a C on a clarinet.

You have to do something over and over to get a certain type of result...real competency, real understanding, real fitness. Doing something once is an exposure, an experience. But the things we do over and over add up to something.

Sunday, July 27, 2003

A Journal from Austin, Texas. A Project of LBFFP Stealth Publishing.
food	reading	writing	time	exercise	health and mood

it's not enough to do something once...one has to keep doing it to make it important...or get it right...and my Fireworks skills are still weak	it's like a religion A day in which I ponder that most success is just repetition...whether it's exercise, an online journal or a desire to reach a religious nirvana. You hear it all the time...people say that someone exercised religiously or that some woman author wrote every morning, religiously. What is meant, of course, is that they just keep doing it. Apparently, we believe that getting next to god (or God or the gods) is a matter of persistence. Thus, my American Heritage dictionary gives this meaning: re.lig.ious adj. ...3. Extremely scrupulous or conscientious; religious devotion to duty. I think what we mean when we say religious is that we go to lengths to make sure we do something over and over. Religions require frequent prayer and, generally, attendance and devotion at some place where money can be collected and time spent having the leaders indoctrinate the population a little. This is not to disparage any religion. Although I do realize (and you should, too) that religions are a seat of power and require thereby money and devotion. Religions based on individual acts, unsupervised by leaders with something to gain, just don't get the power. Where would it come from? What if my religion said: "There is a god who expects us not to harm others or their property, to do some good in the world and, if we do, whether or not we believe in a higher power or have designed and built rituals and buildings of worship then we will die and live in bliss for eternity." There is no way to gain power with that...someone could write books or give speeches about it for money but I'm guessing the philosophy just wouldn't make the talk shows. But, I digress. (Yes, I know, the whole journal is a sort of digression.) So, yeah, religiously and religous devotion. It has come to my attention that I have been doing two things religiously. Writing. (Ha, you say, you never write...it says so below. Au contraire, my friends, I write the journal. But I can hardly report that as progress in the writing section. Too self-referential.) Yes, writing the journal religiously. I don't say much but I type. I set up the days to link to one another. And, as surely as time passes, I write something. The other thing I've been doing religiously is exercise. This was brought home by not doing it...yesterday and Wednesday. Since I'd been doing something in the fitness area almost every day when I wasn't traveling, not doing it seemed off and out of form. Even though I was on my feet, putting the house and yard in order for hours, bending and stretching and carrying. Not exactly sedentary. Generally, I exercise religiosly. Since I retired. The result has been steady weight loss, better flexibility, fewer sore joints, better general health and the ability to feel some muscles below the fat. I remember when I was trying to learn to play an instrument (I was not religiously devoted to practice)...I had some exercises that had little sayings at the top of the sheet music that were meant to inspire constancy of practice, practicing religiously as it were. One said, "Repetition makes reputation." I remembered that long after I forgot how to finger a C on a clarinet. You have to do something over and over to get a certain type of result...real competency, real understanding, real fitness. Doing something once is an exposure, an experience. But the things we do over and over add up to something.
JUST TYPING Religious. Religiously. Righteous. Right-thinking. Without sin. Sinister.
		Food Diary. Seven-inch wild mushroom goat cheese pizza and about sixteen ounces of root beer. About eight ounces of tuna steak with a creamy ginger sauce from a bottle and two steamed pattypan squash. Some red wine. A little Romano cheese.
		Time flies.... Couldn't wake up...kept trying to finish dreams about untangling cords or getting airline upgrades. Finally up by 8:30 and then goofed with my computer for over an hour...journal, etc. During the day when I'd wander back to my computer I would work on birthday cards for people with August birthdays coming up. I'd spend a few minutes looking for pictures or modifying and morphing things with Fireworks. If FFP didn't call me away, I'd probably have stayed at the computer longer here and there. He made me get up and watch some 'extra material' on the Giant DVD and help with dinner and clean up. And, even though I suggested the trip to Central Market to (1) eat; (2) walk through the bookstore; and (3) shop for food, it was he who urged me on. I timed some of my the stuff I do in the fitness room today. It takes about the time the trainer promised if no one resets my machines or moves my weight. [Note to self: Sunday morning is a pretty good time for this.] The day, anyway, mostly drifted away in the aimless reading of the paper, my book, doing stuff on the computer, watching TV and DVDs, eating. I did take down some flood lights in the yard and water a few plants. But mostly I was not the least bit useful. Nor did I do serious writing or make headway on the papers. I enjoyed goofing off and wasting the time, though. That's something.

		Reading. Mary Gordon's The Rest of Life on the bicycle and over lunch. Sunday papers.
		The journal is writing. I've decided. It may be my only work so I have to decide that. I'm even thinking that if I admit that the journal is writing that it can lead to other writing. I even briefly decided today (and then waffled) to actually promote the journal. Or, not really promote it, but not not promote it. [Ed. note: Yes the Visible Woman has discouraged links to her journal and been accommodated in this by other journal writers like the inimitable Pineapple and Michael of Bunt Sign.
		Exercise Fifteen minutes on bike. Lower body and arms weight program. Twenty minutes on bike.
		Felt pretty good although stomach is a little upset. Nothing like the dog's though...she got into the party food and is suffering the consequences.