Did you know that the human heart is a muscle? I read about it recently in a health article that said the human heart is “an organ containing a group of tissues that work together to perform a specific function, which is to pump blood throughout your body”. Well, that got me thinking about how I need to get my heart into better shape as I get older… or I might not get older!
So I began this morning by jumping on my bike and pedaling along the sidewalks and streets of Coto de Caza where I live. The area is beautiful, but unfortunately it’s mostly hills, so it wasn’t long before my legs were hurting, and my lungs were burning. But I figured the pain in my legs and lungs would be a gain in strength for my heart. So I kept going.
At one point, I was going a little too fast down a steep section, hit a rock and almost lost control. I saved it, but my water bottle went flying. When I went to recover my water bottle, I noticed one of those wireless “ear buds” laying on the sidewalk. I remembered seeing a woman walk past me a few minutes earlier, so I pumped the pedals and climbed back up the steep hill to track her down. When I got to her, she was really nice but informed me that her “ear buds” were the old-fashioned ones with wires. At the same time, she informed that she had passed a friend of hers named “Goysha” 15 minutes earlier going the other way. She said Goysha lives a mile or two down the road in the “Greens” complex and she wars wireless ear buds.
So I thanked her, got back on my bike, and started pumping the pedals again going the other way. I made it all the way to the entrance to the “Greens”, but no sign of Goysha. I turned into the complex and hit a fork in the road. I looked both ways but didn’t see anyone, and wondered which way to go? Then I remembered what “Jack Reacher” always says in his adventure novels, “When in doubt, always turn right.” So I turned right and when I reached the top of the cul-de-sac I caught a glimpse of a lady going in her front door. I pedaled furiously and yelled out, “Hey Lady!”, just as she was closing the front door. Two seconds later she opened the door, wondering who the crazy man was yelling at her. Turns out her name was Goysha, and she had just lost a wireless ear bud, and she was very happy to see me!
As I pedaled all the way back home, I was exhausted but happy that I was able to help someone out. And that got me thinking.. Maybe there are two ways we need to exercise our hearts. One is with cardio and the other is with caring. Because it seems to me that if people have both a strong heart and a good heart, everyone will be in better shape!
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