I went to the gym tonight. I’ve been working out on a regular basis since high school. Back then it was to build bulk for football, but now it’s more for vanity and survival. Sure, I want to look good, but lately I’ve been thinking more about just living. Sometimes I lie awake at night or in the early hours of the morning and worry about what will happen to my children if I die. It’s not a pleasant um, exercise, so I do what I can to live right and stay healthy. A big part of that is going to the gym after work.

I often have conflicts that pit the gym against social activities, often work-related. “Thirsty Thursdays” are a weekly event that provides some stress relief toward the end of the workweek. Many Thursday’s I’ve opted out and instead gone to the gym. Why? See above. You see, drinking a couple beers is easy; doing 300 situps isn’t. Eating buffalo wings is easy; lifting weights isn’t. Chatting and laughing is easy; 150 flights of stairs in 30 minutes isn’t, but I go. It’s a commitment I made to myself a long time ago and one that is more important now than ever.