WEAR & TEAR

“See? There”, the sports doctor at Loftus Park remarked, “Straight as a pencil”, as she was pointing at the X-rays of my neck.  “Of course, if you were a professional rugby player, your career would have been something of the past”, she smiled.  “But in your case, nothing serious, quite normal for your age.  Just a little wear and tear.”

Did you know that there`s an actual theory about this?  The Wear and Tear Theory was first scientifically proposed by the German biologist, Dr August Weismann, in 1882!  It basically states that, like cars and clothes, our bodies gradually wear out after time.  Shakespeare addressed ageing in his Seven ages of man” and long before that, we are told in the book of Genesis that the years of our lives will be limited to 120.  We know that after the age of 20 we lose a gram of brain mass per year (my two blond kids LOVE to remind me of that fact☺), it`s general knowledge that with age our bones become weaker, our metabolisms become slower and our hearts less efficient, blah blah blah…

We live in a culture obsessed with youth and the futile task of keeping it.  It`s the number one focus of marketers, product designers and cosmetic surgeons.  But, alas, no matter how often you dye your hair, update your wardrobe, keep your wrinkles in check and lie about your age – that damn, unavoidable, irrevocable, inexorable thing called AGEING happens.  It’s an undeniable fact – everybody ages, even Tom Cruise (sigh).

Luckily a study by scientists in March 2018 confirmed yet again what we all know – a lifetime of regular exercise slows down ageing!  A group of older people who have exercised all their lives were compared to a group of similar aged adults who do NOT exercise regularly.  The results showed that the fit elders have defied the ageing process, having the immunity, muscle mass, and cholesterol levels of a young person.

But this is not what this piece of writing is about today.  By now you know that I firmly believe that the body is like a good pair of jeans.  If we take care of them, they’ll remain classic forever, but if we batter and abuse them, they’ll become tattered old rags much sooner than we anticipate…☺   Heck no. If I haven’t convinced you these past 4 years that exercise is crucial, it’s not going to happen now… Today’s blog is about another side of wear and tear…

We are all familiar with the events of Elana Barkhuizen`s suspension from a school in Schweizer-Reneke, after taking a “controversial” picture of a class of grade R pupils.  While watching her heart-breaking press statement on Maroela Media, which has been viewed by more than 200 000 people on Facebook, four thoughts crossed my mind: 

1.  Margaret van Wyk must be a very relieved woman,
2.  Elana Barkhuizen has been the victim of assumptions – a perfect confirmation that in this world we live in people are always so busy regarding others’ shortcomings that all their redeeming qualities are overlooked.
3. Doesn’t our country have bigger problems to deal with…?  And:
4. Maybe it’s situations like these that Yann Martel, best-selling author of “Life of Pi” referred to when he said: 

“People break down because of the wear and tear of anxiety.  Because of the gnawing feeling that no matter how hard they work their efforts yield nothing, that what they build up in one year is torn down in one day by others…”

A week ago, Elana Barkhuizen was just a soft-spoken teacher who loves children, purely because they are children.  Now she is labelled as a “racist” by an unfair society…I can tell you one thing, though, we may have seen the tears well up in her eyes while addressing that room full of reporters, but today, only days after the unfortunate event, I KNOW she is stronger than ever.

And know what I also have come to think?  That maybe there IS an argument against the wear and tear theory…That rather than starting out at the peak of performance, such as a car fresh off the assembly line or a computer new out of the box, we start life fragile, we ARE fragile.  BUT we build strength and resilience with age and every single experience, good and bad.  Rae Smith, the famous set designer of the epic stage production War Horse, said:

“Never be afraid to fall apart, because it is an opportunity to rebuild yourself the way you wish you had been all along.”

Your personal circumstances may be totally different from that of Elana Barkhuizen, but I’m sure at one point in your life you too have been on the receiving end of negative “put down” artillery.  Or, maybe you already feel a sense of weariness during this third week of an already hectic 2019.  It`s okay. It’s okay not always to be okay.   

When life is at its hardest, it helps us to remember that less is more. Like a long hug, a cup of Cappuccino, a private moment to let yourself feel it all free of shame and judgement, a simple moment of pause. 

Just showing up… for the ones we love, for ourselves. Not demanding perfection, just presence. Allowing ourselves to hurt and not rushing or shoving the hurt away. Simply surrendering to it, bearing witness to it, and letting it break us down so that we can rebuild with an even stronger foundation.  

One day at a time. One minute at a time. One healing thought at a time.  “The only thing that’s the end of the world is the end of the world”, said Barack Obama.  Elana Barkhuizen’s story has reminded me to think about how I would like to be treated…Have you thought about it?  How would you like your experience, your skills, your lifetime of hard work to be viewed and valued? 

“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late”, said Ralph Emerson…Whether you`re a five-year old pre-schooler in Schweizer-Reneke, a young, ignorant teacher, the captain of the Springbok rugby team or a new member at the gym, we’re all in this together, we’re just at different points of the trajectory.  Let`s not wear and tear each other down – life’s tough enough as it is!!!

Yours in fitness

Mirna

PS (A huge shout out to Mari Kruger from Inkbox for making sure this Blog is punctually and perfectly posted)