Oh, so taxing
I'm a pro. Crass. Tin. Ater.
I should be doing my taxes.
tax noun
1a. a charge usually of money by authority on persons or property for public purposes
1b. a sum levied on members of an organization to defray expensees
2. a heavy demand (thank you Merriam-Webster - you’re very useful)
Instead of doing my taxes (1a) I watched a show. Episode 4 of Strong Girl Nam-Soon. Silly, yet surprisingly good. For me a serious binge-watch with 3 episodes in 4 days.
Instead I cooked some food and did dishes. Cleaned the counter. Organized the kitchen a little.
And INSTEAD now I write a little. Taxes? Too taxing!
Speaking of taxes, If you harm a butterfly in Pacific Grove you could be subject to a $500 fine. What if your cat catches one? Are you liable? What if you take a photo of one without the butterfly’s permission? Social media post? Watch out, here they come. Still, it’s sort of a Butterfly tax. I wonder how much they’ve pulled in over the years. Perhaps this sort of thing might be definition 1b.
One of the things I enjoy most in life is taxing myself (2). Seeing what I can do. Over the years I have enjoyed this the most through running. Running far. Running up big, and sometimes really big, hills. Heart in the lungs running. Lungs on fire running. Can’t take another step running. Yeah, I do enjoy it. The feeling of RUSH as you do it… when you reach a 2000’ peak or look across a valley at another peak you had just come from. It’s hard to beat.
Taxing (2) is hot yoga too. By the end of the hour I am usually spent. Often the instructor (usually KS) will give one more thing to do and I will think, “I can’t move my body”... and then I breathe, exhale some heat, and I try to move. And frequently I do. Then later I have a yoga high that leaves me giddy and dopey.
Giddy and dopey and completely in the moment. The rest of the world disappears.
One of the reasons I have been willing to coach Cross Country and Track is because I want to pass on this joy of taxation (2) to another generation. I want them to learn how to push themselves… and enjoy it. I can’t say I’ve met with a lot of success. They complain a lot. “Do we have to?” “Uhm, you signed up for this, it’s running!” Middle school - sheesh.
This spring it was just feeling like a lot and so I asked to have it put out there that we need a new coach. No bites. And the first two weeks it was just me and one parent out there with up to 34 middle schoolers. (39 signed up - the most we’ve had at any one practice is 34). That’s a lot of herding ducks. Taxing for me in a way I don’t really want to be taxed at the end of a school day.
But then 1 more parent started showing up every day. Then another on track days and we’re doing ok.
And I finally gave in and admitted that kids running track like to sprint. They don’t want to run for miles and miles every day. Gee whiz. Who are these kids?
So we still do beach runs and they plod along. BUT I’ve added yoga and core and weird relays during practice and they love it… and they go HARD. Short bursts and they get into the whole thing. It’s become a bit energizing.
Today I took them to a nearby hill. I had just taught them about how to punch with their arms during short running bursts to make use of arm momentum and to create a surge from the foot and calf with each step. 31 kids on their knees doing fake punches while holding their core still is really a pretty funny looking sight… btw.
So there we are at the hill and I tell them I want them to apply what they just learned with punching and do 40 yard sprints up this short nasty hill. They look at me. “Run hard up, punching all the way, relax coming down. When you have your breath back, go again.” “How many?” a couple ask. I smile, “until you pass out” They look at me and get started.
31 kids of various capabilities with swinging arms pounding up a hill like it’s meant to be conquered.
They start racing each other. It becomes a thing to go again. They’re getting exhausted.
The beefy jock athlete sprinter kid challenges the lanky nerdy distance kid and they pound up the hill neck to neck - pushing each other all the way. I don’t know who won.
The tough softball pitcher girl challenges the 400 specialist boy and they rocket up the hill.
I race one of my other coaches and a few of the kids. The other coach guns it up one time.
A hoot. A taxing hoot. I cut the distance in half and they all go again - giving me high fives at the top.
Finally we run back to school. We have 8 minutes until pick up time. We go into the gym and I get down into an elbow plank and just shout out “PLANK!”
They look at me planking. They get water. They’re walking with hands on hips. Looking at me.
“PLANK!” “do we have..” “PLANK! Let’s go!” I smile… and two 8th graders get down next to me.. They’re in. Eventually most of them get down and we plank together. Then we get up on our hands, still planking, then we go back down to elbows and then we do push ups and everyone is giving it their best shot - though their form is breaking down.
Taxing. enjoy the moments. The rest of the world goes away.
Incidentally - Yesterday would have been Katie and my wedding anniversary. Our wedding was a beautiful thing under a giant oak at Garland Ranch with long green grass all around.
Yesterday I also received the phone number of a woman a friend thinks I might get along with. Rather than wait and think I figured Katie would want me to go for it - especially today. So I contacted her and we texted back and forth a little… No warning flashes appeared. We’re going to get coffee tomorrow.
Later in the evening my friend I met on Facebook over a year ago.. she lost her husband about 6 months after Katie died.. she texted me and just touched base asking if it was the anniversary date. I got a virtual hug. Comfort can come from the most unexpected places.
Please… take this hug. Hold it as long as you need.
