Have you ever been in a meeting that lasted for ten hours? Without getting too specific, my job occasionally requires a certain, rare kind of meeting. They don't usually last this long, but this one was....special. It took place in a rather small conference room, with eight people, and it included crying, sniping, and if not outright yelling, came this close. The tension built steadily and was relieved, explosively, at the end of the day by the following exchange:
"Is your father an alcoholic?" "Yes." "Is your mother an alcoholic?" "Yes. But I'm a Southern Baptist, so I consider anyone who drinks to be an alcoholic."
So even though I had planned to go to the gym tonight, there was no way, NO WAY, this body could be contained any longer, not by a gym and not by a treadmill. It was nothing but hills, one after the other. I even ran up one of them! It was as if I had one of those wind-up keys in my back. No matter how fast I went, or how high the hills, it was effortless.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: what on earth did I do with this kind of tension before I walked five miles? Did it settle in my stomach? In my neck? My lower back? Did it permeate and weaken my entire body? Compromise my immune system? It's anybody's guess.
I felt like I could have walked ten miles, and maybe I should have; sleep doesn't seem to be in my immediate future. But the stress is gone, my good humor is restored, and I'm ready to jump back into whatever craziness tomorrow holds.
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