Gym-Unblocked
Update: I’ve gone back to the gym.
How’d I do it? With the kind advice of many, I found proper motivation and her name is Rachel Maddow.
It was not coincidental timing that my Ipod Touch arrived a couple weeks ago. Not only did I want it because I promised myself I could have one after my special fields were done but I specifically had that device in my sights because…it plays tv shows…whichever ones I want…whenever I want…and with better clarity than my regular tv. This thing is truly amazing.
I knew I would use it to take to the gym because I can push through just about anything physically painful if I’m watching tv. There’s something so very calming to me about it. But I also knew I needed to find “just that show” that would motivate me. And it had to be something I would only watch at the gym, so in order to indulge televisionally, I’d have to go step onto that crazy elliptical and get going.
Her name? Rachel Maddow.
I’m pretty sure I’ve extolled her virtues before, but I’m renewing my accolades. This woman is just…amazing. I am in no way a political junkie but now I want to be one just so in case I meet her on the sidewalk I won’t embarrass myself. Oh man, she brings it.
And I was thinking yesterday as I was “ellipticalling” away that I find great comfort in her show because *it evens out the playing field.* It’s no secret she’s progressive–she jokes about it openly–but it rights the balance (actually it “lefts” the balance) of the media coverage we’re fed unless we’re being really aware and listening only to NPR. When I go to find the news (maybe sadly), I’m not vigilant about where it’s coming from. So, I take in whatever happens to be around (unless it’s Fox News which I consider on the same plane as E! News)…Rachel Maddow serves as a “corrector” of sorts to a lot of mainstream media and I’m thankful for it.
PLUS…I love that she’s somewhat set herself apart from her counterparts Chris Matthews and Keith Olberman who really come across as loud, grandstanding foils to the Rush Limbaugh’s of the world. I don’t think she does. She just “breaks it down.”
The bottom line for me, though? She’s very cool. She makes smart cool. She makes reason and fact-checking cool. I can appreciate her commentary on particular issues but I appreciate even more that she’s teaching all of us how to de-mystify the political process (a lot of her fact-checking comes from public sources). She’s teaching how to create accountability. That’s amazing.
So, agree or disagree…I say watch her…at the gym if you have to.