Clearing the Cobwebs

/ roughwighting

cobwebs, clearing the cobweb, sibling conversation, joy of exercise“What do you think it is?” my brother Jack asks. He’s in the middle of a 4-mile run even though he’s 68, his knees ache, and he biked 20 miles the day before with friends a decade younger.

I shrug, then take his question seriously. After all, I drove seven hours to visit my brother and his wife, and after perfunctory hellos, Jack takes off for a run and I begin a three-mile walk. Jack and I bump into each other a mile from his home; he pants while he asks the question.

“You mean, why do we have a need to exercise every day?” I ask.

Jack nods. “More like an obsession. Mom and Dan never exercised like this.”

I continue walking at a brisk pace and note that Jack works to keep up with me. Sometimes walking is harder than running. Shoes Sneakers Footwear - Free photo on Pixabay - Pixabay/Anrita1705

“Back then, in the ‘60s and ‘70s, ‘exercise’ wasn’t a thing like it is now,” I suggest. “Few people bought gym memberships or signed up for 10ks, much less marathons.”

Jack agrees, then stops at a tree and stretches his leg up a trunk, letting out a groan.

“A little tight, brother?” I tease.

Jack grimaces. “My doctor tells me I’m overdoing it. Every day it’s something: biking, running, swimming, lifting weights.”

We begin to walk again. “I know, I’m the same. My days are scheduled: yoga, Zumba, walk with friends on three different days, hike on the weekends.”

“Well, it shows well on you,” Jack replies graciously. “But you should lighten up a bit.”

https://pixabay.com/photos/kettle-pots-cooking-2992849/infopaul70“The pot calling the kettle black.” I smile. “I think it’s our shared obsession.”

“Why though?” Jack asks. His lean physique leans toward me for an answer.

 “For me? It’s a couple of reasons. A type of meditation. Helps me leave whatever’s troubling me. Helps clear my head.”

Jack laughs. “Remember what dad always said when we camped, and he made us go on hikes?” Kids hiking https://pixabay.com/photos/forest-hiking-kids-children-people-386751/PublicDomainImages

“Yup. ‘Clears up the cobwebs in your head.’ And you know what? That’s exactly right.”

Jack turns somber. “Maybe if Dad exercised more like we do now, he wouldn’t have had to drink to relax. Maybe he wouldn’t have become an alcoholic.”

I stop suddenly, Jack still walk-racing ahead. He pauses and turns back toward me. “What?” he asks.

“I think that may be one of the reasons,” I answer. “Better an obsession with exercising than letting life get the best of us. Better moving every day to avoid the ‘downs’ that Dad battled. Better to run and walk and dance and swim than look at our belly buttons and wonder why the hell we’re even here.”

Jack frowns. “Here?”

“Here,” I reply, beginning to walk. “Here on Earth.”

Jack guffaws. “You think too much,” he says, then takes off, running. “Beat you to the house.”

I chuckle and chase my little brother, just like always.

Bon Co-Pilot Design, sweeping up the cobwebs

How do you clear YOUR cobwebs?

98 thoughts on “Clearing the Cobwebs”

  3. Walking “clears the cobwebs” for me (running not so much). Sometimes when I’m writing and stuck, I get up and walk around inside the house for a few minutes, and that usually gives me an idea.

    It’s also a bit of an obsession for me–something I can control in my life. 🙂

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  5. Working out in any form (usually Peloton involved) “clears the cobwebs” and takes me out of my own head. My body, my health has always been the only thing I can control and when things have really gone south in my life, that’s where I found my control – working out. My parents didn’t work out, but my dad was a creature of habit and I think it soothed him. I take after him.

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    • That’s another good way of putting it. Walking and exercising and moving takes us “out of our own head.” And that’s a healthy thing to do! Thanks so much for visiting and commenting Nancy.

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  7. Jack may be overdoing it a tad… He could still do a daily without it being 20 miles 😉

    As for me, I use walking (and running, when my butt heals) as a form of meditation and yes, to clear the cobwebs. Like Bernadette, walking helped me not lose my mind during some tough times.

    Far from exercise, colouring also helped to empty my mind 🙂

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    • Interesting about the coloring. I use writing as the other “exercise” I use that helps clear my cobwebs. By the way, my brother Jack-I’ve changed the name to protect the innocent-is planning on another triathlon this fall! 🙃

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    • Isn’t it true that the word “obsessions” used to be a nasty word, but now we realize that there are good obsessions too? Wouldn’t you say that your photography is a healthy obsession, Brad? Here’s to walking and forest bathing. I hope you start up meditating again. It’s extremely healthy for our souls. 💖

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  9. I think your brother might be overdoing it just a tad. If he’s hurting his body, he needs to exercise in moderation! I am not a fan of walking and yet I do it – it helps me think about my writing when I’ve hit a wall or need to plot out ahead. Then the walk goes more quickly!

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  10. I know someone who calls me every time she’s out on her walk because she says it goes faster that way. But I prefer to walk in silence, or at least with someone who doesn’t feel the need to talk a blue streak.

    I was in the car with a friend yesterday and we saw a woman running and my friend turned to me and said, “Should we tell her there’s no one behind her? She doesn’t have to run.” LOL

    I do not run and haven’t for years, but I love a walk as often as possible, and when it’s gross outside, I do Pilates. I find that calms my mind as much as walking does.

    Thanks for the reminder to get out there and exercise our bodies and brains. ❤

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    • I’m laughing at several of your comments, Amy. I hope no one thinks I talk a blue streak. But as I’m sure my guy would say since he loves to pun, I probably often talk a purple streak or maybe even a pink streak. 😅 I’m with you about the walking in silence. I love to listen to the birds chatter and the water streaming in the nearby creek and when I walk along the bay, I enjoy listening to the seals bark. Listening and walking is part of meditating and cleaning out cobwebs. However, since it has been gross many many days this spring, I go to Zumba class, and I practice some yoga. It all soothes my brain and takes away the cobwebs. Yay you for working on Pilates-ing! (why is that not a word yet?) ☺️

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      • Pilates-ing should be a word.

        Your comment about listening to the birds was interesting—I love to listen to the birds. I use an app on my phone sometimes called Merlin. It identifies birds by their songs. You record birds singing and it’ll tell you what birds you’re hearing. I absolutely love it.

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  11. I love my walks and often find things to photograph with my senior phone. My walks vary in my different random routes–most times there are a few steep hills, but the walks always passes some rest stop to enjoy the view. Best of all, my walks help in my plots and devious schemes of my ongoing stories. I like to think my walks are healthy and inspirational! :)

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  12. I have never been a runner. Just getting outside clears my head, because it reminds me there is a big ol’ world that exists aside from the one in my brain. I try to live in the moment as often as possible, so when I feel like said brain is starting to experience overcrowding…outside I will go. Nature can be a great de-stressor.

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  13. My entire family has upped our exercise. When husby and I bought a Peloton tread, we set up exercise teams within the family. No one cared until suddenly–I don’t know why–they did. Now my 75 year old sis works out, my daughter bought a tread, my son works out every day. And we all love it!

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  14. I used to try to get my mom to go for a walk to help with her heart troubles, but she said she had already put in a thousand footsteps in doing the housework and she was too tired to do any more. I tried to argue it was a different kind of “footstep” accumulation, but I could see she was tired. Now, decades later, I should be telling myself to get out more and walk.

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  18. wonderful reminder to obsess with healthy choices. Walking without earplugs to hear nature’s rhythms to keep march time helps my gate. Wait until the cicadas chime in this year! Wish we had them in Davis instead of the pond frogs. Keep moving, but easy does it; knee replacement are a wonder these days, but sometimes something else is waiting to give-way.

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    • Exercise with moderation for sure. Could I give you my brother’s phone number and maybe you could give him a call? 😚 I love the way you talk about walking to nature’s rhythm. Beautifully said.

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  19. I so agree with the physical and mental benefits of exercise. I feel sharper mentally when I’m active. The trick is finding the balance because too much leaves my knees and back aching. All I know at my age is it takes a lot longer to get in shape than to fall out of shape.

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  21. I exercise every day, more for health than for clearing my mind, although there’s always that feeling of the world opening up as soon as I step outside. When we lived in the tropics, swimming was my favorite exercise. Ever since Jane Fonda made her videos, I’ve enjoyed aerobics. Movement is so much better with music.

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    • Oh my gosh, talking about Jane Fonda shows our age, doesn’t it! 🫣
      But she gets credit for showing us how fun aerobic exercise can be, and I have taken dance classes of different varieties ever since. And of course, swimming is one of the best exercises.

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  23. Sounds like you and your brother have a similar relationship as I and my brother have. I get my walking in because of my dogs. They get me away from the computer and outside. We come from a long line of workaholics so we need a distraction from time to time. I’ve never been very athletic, more bookish but I do enjoy a good walk. (and it is good for your soul!)

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    • And I will admit to you and no one else that I will put my earbuds in and walk for an hour while listening to a book! Gets in of steps and keeps my mind buzzing with a story. But don’t tell anyone because I do also like to listen to the birds. 😅 And yes, you and I are so lucky with our brothers!

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      • I don’t know if I would trust myself with earbuds and an audio book while walking. I would get too involved in the story and probably trip and fall or make a wrong turn etc! Also I usually have my dogs with me and need to concentrate on them. But I like that idea.

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        • I wear the earbuds that don’t take away all external sounds (some people like those in which they can hearing nothing but what they’re listening to – ummm no for me!). So I hear traffic, cars, etc. But yes, if a story is really good, we can get distracted. I remember walking and listening to Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout with tears pouring out of my eyes. A few pedestrians looked quite concerned. ;–0

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    • Sometimes I have to reign it in. Sometimes I have to make myself go for a walk but once I get going, I don’t ever want to stop! And I know you walk lots because your blog posts describe your Nature’s setting so well.

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  26. I love the relationship you have with your brother. You’re right about how exercising gives us the dopamine lift that alcohol temporarily does. Exercising is one of the top things one can do when trying to get off alcohol. It is a mood booster while alcohol is a depressant. Enjoy your stay with your family. ❤

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  27. There is so much truth in this post! Some obsessions are good for us, others are not. And if exercising a bit too much is what makes us feel good, then absolutely we should go for it. Because we all know that self-medicating never ends well.

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  28. Excellent advice in this story!!! The great outdoors is a wonderful place to get some exercise. It does clear the cobwebs. And, as it is said, fresh air and sunshine is about the best medicine possible. I think walking is probably one of the very best exercises for people as they age. I like working in the yard and the garden…I get some exercise and I get yard work done also!

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  29. I enjoyed this. As someone who has been in recovery for alcohol for 13 years, I remember too well how it pulls you in, to think you need it.
    I have never been one for heavy exercise. However I do like to find time for meditation, and to ground myself. I also enjoy lovely walks with my dog, out in nature.

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    • Thanks so much for weighing in, Freya. My dad was a big thinker (too much, as he warned me since I’m similar) – and I think he also had PTSD as a paratrooper in WWII. This was before counseling or therapy emerged for veterans. I believe in “walking meditation” – reduces the thinking and helps us just BE — with nature, and even better with a dog too. ❤

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  33. Me and running are not friends. It is too hard on my back and knees. But I walk. It is a healthy alternative. And helps me to keep my blood sugar and weight in check (when I do it) which lately, I haven’t been but I will change that starting the week after next. We are going on a trip to San Antonio for a week. A MUCH needed trip and I am not about to eat or drink perfectly. I have made some big decisions this week and my brain needs a rest.

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  34. I’m not a runner, or any sort, but I have found that doing hard work in my garden has a similar effect. And by hard work I mean building rockeries, putting up fences, that sort of thing. While I’m focused on /doing/ my mind floats away. It’s very zen-ish. lol And saves money too. 😉

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  35. I just came across your post . How appropriate, I went to a yoga class today and it was humiliating. Having gone to yoga for decades I stopped after breaking my ankle four years ago . It’s never too late to start over.

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    • Oh no! Yoga is a journey not a destination. No humiliation! But yes when I take a break what a difference in my (lack of) flexibility. 🫣I count child’s pose as a good stretch, Gerlinde! 😚

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