You can live through anything for 30 seconds. That’s what one of my gym trainers used to say. It was his way of encouraging me to push through the pain of a workout, past exhaustion, not admit defeat. It made sense if you thought he was only talking about the last thirty seconds, but to him, the whole thing was actually a bunch of thirty seconds pushed together. It was 5, 10, 15 minutes, an hour. Whatever. Broken down into thirty second intervals.
Bite sized pieces. An amuse-bouche of agony.
You can live through anything if you think about it like it’s only happening to you thirty seconds at a time. In that case, it’s more a question of endurance than fortitude. My success always had less to do with ability and more to do with what I was willing to endure at the hands of those who were supposed to care about me.
Maybe I’ve changed hands, but the game is still the same.
Once you understand it, the play is simple.
The rules are - I don’t get to set them.
But I have to keep playing no matter what.
Pass go. Collect $100.
Stop? Well, that’s how you lose the game.
And we both know I’m a sore loser.
So, remember - you can live through anything if you just think about it in 30 second increments. It’s almost over, I promise.
You just have to make it through the next 30 seconds, and the next, and the next.
Close your eyes. Pretend it isn’t happening.
Time passes at the same rate no matter what you’re doing; whether you’re sleeping soundly or I’m up all night. It’s all about what we are willing to endure at the hands of the people who are supposed to care.
How many thirty seconds did it take you to read this; how many will it take you to forget it? Me? Well, i’ll remember forever.
Unfortunately, I never mastered the art of forgetting. I’m a slow learner, but once i’ve got it, I’ll never forget.
Enhance your reading experience with today’s Blog pairing menu:
Bit watch: Reruns of Glee
Catchy tune: Pain Is Inevitable by Daniel Caesar