It was just a random workday like any other. At the time I worked out of my dining room, sitting at the end of a long table we only used twice a year. Little by little I had taken over the room to such a degree that when any holiday came I had to load our bedroom with all of the stuff that made up my ‘office’ so the room could be used for its intended use for a few hours before turning it back into my office. I remember I was the only one at home that day, usually Janet is home, writing at the kitchen table while I work in the room right next to her, but I remember on this day there was nobody around.

I don’t know where I first saw or read about it but on this particular day I saw something about the director Kevin Smith losing a bunch of weight on WeightWatchers. For some reason his story resonated with me. Maybe it’s because we are about the same age, both from New Jersey, like Star Wars, who knows…but for some reason I decided, really decided, in that moment that I was going to sign up for WeightWatchers right away and I was going to work the plan whatever that meant. I broke out my credit card, signed up and told myself all I was going to do was track everything I ate. I would do this every day for every meal no matter what–that was it. I didn’t have a weight loss goal, I didn’t know where things would lead but I knew I was tired of feeling like I did and knew I wanted to change.

Note: I really ‘love’ the way AI generates images. So great at some things and so bad at others. It is kinda fitting that ChatGPT thinks this person beginning their journey has two middle toes on their right foot, apparently hops on one foot for two steps then jumps 360 degrees and lands on their left foot (on which this person is wearing a shoe).

When I first saw these mistakes in the image I had ‘created’ my first instinct was to go fix them, but the more I looked at the picture the more it seemed appropriate. Most times when we take on a seemingly insurmountable task we aren’t ever fully up to it, we are flawed, we lack the tools we need to accomplish our goals, we are scared, we make mistakes, go in the wrong direction and sometimes have to start over.

I always had that little voice in my head giving me good reasons to put things off, now wasn’t quite, if only things were more ideal I could start, I’m too busy to make it a priority. The truth is the stars will never align, the time will never be perfect and all I know is that on this particular day I came to that realization. I took my first step and was determined to keep stepping no matter what…