Hello all!
Sorry for the delay - just after I got moved into Philly, I started working on the daunting task (with God's help of course!) of reconstituting our Vocations Program from the ground up. It has me on the road a lot, visiting our schools and churches, and is quite exciting. However, I have to hang my head low before you all as the only gyms around here are the fern and chrome variety, and yes, I joined one (I have no space in my current digs for a power rack, bench and weights - this will have to wait for a little while) for $20.00/month with no contract. Oh my heart aches for the day that I can get a dungeon like Bob's (or get assigned to Washington DC where I can work out at Bob's dungeon, which I SORELY MISS)...but hey, at least they have a squat rack and a hex trap bar for deadlifts along with plenty of free weights for me to work hard at up here.
Funny though, are the looks from the crowd at the gym on Spring Garden and 2nd (a short walk from the Cathedral). First thing, I sure get strange looks from the crowd when I walk in wearing my clerical collar (who knows, perhaps I am making them self-conscious?) Second, I insist on wearing Bob's "No Toning, No Chrome, No Bull" Whelan Strength Training shirt every workout over there (Bob, thank you so much!), wearing it with relish and working hard. I love the looks that Bob's shirt generates too, heh heh heh....
At any rate, the bottom line is that I am there to work HARD, not worry about looks, opinions, or the crowd blabbing. To me, when I am in the gym, the only things that matter are God and iron. I block out all else and focus squarely on the task at hand. Twelve steppers emphasize the power of placing yourself in the hands of a higher power/God to help them get through the problems they face in recovery and in life. To me, this is no different - I place myself in God's hands (for those of you who are of different faiths, this can be done in a similar fashion by believing in yourself, in God, in science, etc., so long as you place your faith where it belongs) and then it is just me and the iron, filled with motivation and ready to blast off. Not even the active "meat" market there bothers me for it is just God, iron, and myself. It is a relationship that is synergistic and carries me through. And I trust you guys got the faith, wherever it may be, that gets you through too!
Blessings,
The Chaplain
