March Coffee Talk

It’s the first week of March. That means spring is right around the corner, right?  It also means it’s time to get a cup of our favorite hot beverage, pull up a virtual chair, and talk about what is on our minds. I have three things to talk about today over hot black coffee.

My Head Almost Touches My Knee, Right?

I have written before about my love-hate relationship with yoga. In January, I thought I would celebrate the new year by participating in an online 30 Days of Yoga program.

On the final day of the practice, the instructor asked us to examine how we felt. I think she was aiming for us to think strong, proud, or accomplished. My first thought, however, was “Relieved“. I was so glad I did not have to do yoga the next day.

But then a funny thing happened. I did do yoga the next day. And the day after that and the day after that. I am still doing yoga almost every day.

Without the pressure of feeling obligated to do yoga every day, it turns out I want to do yoga every day. Sometimes I just do a very short post-run class. Some days I do a full hour-long practice. My love-hate relationship is currently stuck on “love”.

Maybe someday I will even be able to get my nose down to touch my knee. It could happen.

Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins

If we were having coffee, I would tell you about Julia Hawkins. Julia Hawkins from Baton Rouge, Louisana is a runner. In 2019, she competed in the Senior Games in the 50 and 100-meter dash races. At the time, she was 103 years old. Mrs. Hawkins got into running rather late in life, at the age of 100.

She doesn’t waste much time practicing. She has too many other things to do. Julia lives in her own home, reads, goes out to lunch with friends (I am assuming this was before the pandemic), and gardens. She tends to her collection of bonsai trees, which she must water and care for every day.

Mrs. Hawkins has some good advice for us: appreciate what she calls “magic moments.” “I’ve given books to a lot of my friends about magic moments—things that you get every day that you might miss. Sunrises, sunsets, hummingbirds, shooting stars, music, and friends’ comments,” Hawkins said. “All of those things that just touch you so much, just seeing, hearing and feeling it… I hope most people our age have more magic moments than senior moments.“

Julia Hawkins celebrated her 105th birthday last month. I hope if they have the Senior Olympics this summer, she blows the doors off of her race(s).

The Social Dilemma

If we were having coffee, I would tell you about a film I recently viewed on Netflix.

When I began blogging three years ago, the first bloggers I made connections with were a group of very friendly and generous book reviewers. They advised me to have a social media presence, so I registered for a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

They were right. The Facebook page and Twitter account did bring readers to my blog. After keeping up with both accounts for several months, posting regularly, and gaining followers, I promptly neglected both for over two years. I recently started posting to Twitter again just because it’s so much fun!

Twitter has developed a negative reputation, mostly because of heated political discussions, I believe. But I follow runners on Twitter. I see none of that negativity in the Twitter running community. In fact, I see just the opposite. The Twitter running community is unfailingly positive and encouraging.

After watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix, however, I am questioning my participation in any social media platform at all.

If you have social media accounts (and who does not?) I highly recommend watching this quasi-documentary.

The purposeful manipulation of people who participate in social media is shocking and pervasive. If you still wish to participate after watching this film (and I do), The Social Dilemma provides countermeasures users can take against the most egregious threats.

It is well worth an hour and a half of your time to watch this cautionary movie.

Thank you for joining me for coffee this month. I hope to see you again in April, when we again will chat over our coffee mugs. Thank you to Coco from Running With Perseverance and Deborah from Confessions of a Mother Runner for hosting the Ultimate Coffee Date

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