POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

[schlomo]

Positive Reinforcement

Every day, I usually walk as briskly as I can in Waikiki for half an hour. But this afternoon, I had to slow down a bit because of an arthritic hip flare-up. I’m glad that I did.

As I trudged along the path to the Elks Club, I had the time to marvel at the grotesque, gnarly rots of many of the canopied trees. These thick, extensive, multilayered conglomerations (reminding me of boa constrictors) twisted around one another in fierce embraces. Higher up, I noticed huge tumor-like burl appendages attached to the side of some of the trees.

Across from the tree-lined walkway was the unusually calm ocean. I had time not just to peek at it but also to ponder it as well. Without the distraction of rugged wave action and swarms of surfers, I could clearly see the shifting colors spangling the ocean vista: bright aqua marine near the shore, swaths of glistening cobalt further back, and deep purple with just a smidgeon of cresting white caps meandering towards the horizon. If I had the time to meditate, not my forte, I would choose this ocean scenario as my default.

My atypical forced leisurely walk brought me many benefits today. Sometimes physical discomfort can slow you down for an uplifting reason: to show you what treats you would normally miss if you were fully mobile.