The Beats

I've always felt that I have lived before.  My earliest memory was when I was about three or four years old.  I know that because it was before I started elementary school (1st grade) when I was five years old.  My memory was "Here I go again, a fresh start."  Really, that is a memory imbedded in my brain storage bank.

All my life I have been attracted to music with a steady beat.  

When I was in school I played the Sousaphone, which is a bass instrument.  Of course I wanted to play the bass drum but my best friend (Bill B.) played that big drum. We traveled together on the band bus, the last to load our instruments in the bottom of the band bus we took to the away football games.

During the Seventies I loved disco music.  Mainly because of that steady beat.  I used to go to the after hours dance clubs and position myself next to the four foot tall speakers and dance (the "Elaine Dance") to the rhythm.  I frequently took my "sticks" to accompany the beat.

A couple of weeks ago I brought a Bose Wave radio.  I subscribed to the Internet radio station called "Antique Beats."  When I am at my computer now I listen to that station on my new Bose Wave radio, legs shaking to the beat.  In fact Pat has questioned "Why are you shaking?" when I talk to him on FaceTime and I have the radio on at the same time.  Hey man, I am ONE with THE BEAT.  

Well, this morning I found my absolute perfect selection  It is called "Rama" by Earthwise Sound System.  Folks, I can literally listen this music all day.  I am transported.  

Me, Halloween 1980

I listen and I am totally relaxed.  Not for me drug highs are overeating to bring solace to my soul.  All I have to do is listen to music like "Rama" and I am reminded that perhaps, just maybe, I was a . . . . something in a Previous Life.  I don't know, but this music seems awfully familiar.  

Do you think it would be asking too much to request this be played at my funeral?  This feels so right.

Yoga Man

Pat at his yoga class

As you may or may not know, my Canadian friend Pat is a yoga devotee.  That's how he keeps his great body (he's actually a very old man) and his wonderful disposition.  

While I was visiting him in Toronto last month he showed me a few of his yoga moves.  Damned near killed me.  I sent him off to his yoga class by himself.  I got my exercise walking up and down his metal stairs at night to take my nightly pee (or two).  

Pat not only does yoga, he does HOT yoga.  Excuse me?  I'm all for a steam bath and saunas but stretching my body to it's limits in a hot room?  That's not me folks.

During my stay last month, Pat told me that they videotaped one of his yoga classes.  The picture above is of Pat that I took of the video of that yoga class.  

I've been getting my exercises from walking but not so much lately.  I have to get back into walking.  To me, walking is the best all around exercise, even better than swimming and certainly better than jogging (all that banging of joints can't be good). 

I'm not much good at other forms of exercise though.  As a matter of fact I pretty much suck at anything (get your mind out of the gutter) other than walking.  I tried tennis once when I was in Provincetown.  That little brief foray into exercise damn near killed me too.

This Friday I'm scheduled for my annual treadmill stress test.  I remember the last one.  Damned near killed me.