Balanced

Charlotte, NC

 

It’s funny the memories that stick with you from your school days.  When I was an 8^th grader, a classmate asked if I was right-handed.  (I was wearing a blue sweater at the time.)  He said he could tell because my left pectoral muscle was bigger than my right, and he figured it was because it had to make up for the weakness in my left arm.  Ever since then, I’ve been cognizant of it.  It was only 22 years ago, though, so it’s not like I have a complex about it or anything.

 

I did decide, however, that as I traveled this year I would carry my laptop bag (man purse?) on my left shoulder when I was traveling eastbound, and on my right shoulder when I was traveling westbound.  You know, to keep things balanced.  All the world-class bodybuilders have perfectly balanced musculatures.

 

I realized, though, that flying from Oregon to California didn’t quite work with my eastbound-westbound model.  So I decided to change it to “the way there” and “the way back.”  That worked.

 

Until this trip.  I have three engagements linked together: NEA convention in DC, Charlie Rose taping in NYC, and a Teacher Renewal Institute in Mississippi.  Now what?  I’m not going east or west, nor here nor there.  It’s a triangle!  (Sort of.)  To throw another wrench in the works, my connection here in Charlotte involved a walk of about 3 ½ miles.  It felt good to walk, but now my right deltoids are going to be huge!  Dang it!

 

Welcome to the mind of Michael Geisen.  I am a cursed man.

 

Maybe I’ll just go buy a backpack.