I admit I slouch….badly. There are days when some might assume I am bent over in constant prayer. It all became painfully clear to me over the weekend. My husband and I went to dinner at a place frequented by senior citizens. (As a side note, those are the best restaurants because the prices are reasonable and the service is good or the seniors wouldn’t give them the time of day.) In any event, as I looked around the room I was struct by how many people in the room were bent over. I’m not talking osteoporosis bent over, I’m talking hunched from a chronic slouch condition. Patrons of all ages, ethnicities and genders were bent as if leaning in to share a secret conversation. I had this insane urge to walk around the room and straighten everybody out. Then I realized I was just as hunched as the rest of them. Heck, I’m hunched even now as I type this blog.
As a result of my realization, I’ve been trying to force myself to sit up straight. Amazingly, it takes work. I catch myself making multiple attempts to roll my shoulders the right way and then checking myself in the mirror to see how close I am to success. When I do manage to get myself arrow straight, oddly I feel more alert. Breathing becomes somewhat easier and the tension that is normally present in my shoulders eases a bit. Who would have thought my 6th grade teacher who would order us to sit up straight was actually on to something?
