In less than an hour, I'm heading out to the first of three health appointments.
First up is my primary care practitioner. I think this appointment is for the second dose of one of my vaccinations. At least I hope that's what it's for. Somewhere along the way, I've reached the age where my calendar contains mysterious appointments that “Past Me” scheduled and “Present Me” just shows up for.
From there, it's off to see my handsome ginger chiropractor, who's helping me recover from my recent knee injury while also trying to undo forty-plus years of chronic back pain. Apparently, years of being six-foot-four, overweight, and carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders wasn't great for my spine. Who knew?
After a break and a bite to eat, I'll wrap up today's health trifecta with therapy.
Three health providers. Two for the body. One for the mind. Balance.
My chiropractor has been reminding me that our bodies need to be stretched, strengthened, and maintained if we expect them to keep carrying us through life. The more I think about it, the more I realize the same is true of our minds and spirits.
For a long time, I thought self-care had to be something fun. Something glamorous. Spa days. Vacations. Bubble baths. Facials. Retail therapy. The kinds of things social media tells us we're supposed to do to "treat ourselves."
Those things are perfectly fine, but the older I get, the more I realize self-care usually looks a lot less Instagram-worthy.
Sometimes it looks like keeping doctor’s appointments. Sometimes it looks like doing the exercises your chiropractor gives you instead of pretending you’ll “get around to them.” Sometimes it looks like sitting in a therapist’s office and having conversations you’d rather avoid because you know they’ll help you grow and heal in the long run.
I’ve come to realize that self-care is less about treating yourself and more about maintaining yourself.
Think of it like warming up before a workout. You don’t stretch because it’s exciting. You stretch because you’d rather spend five minutes loosening your muscles than five weeks recovering from an injury.
The same goes for doctor’s appointments, therapy, and all those little healthy habits we keep putting off. They’re not glamorous. They’re preventative.
Maintenance rarely gets applause, but neglect almost always sends you the bill.
Of course, life can’t be all appointments and waiting rooms.
That’s why I’m ending the day by picking up two of my favorite people and heading to the local cinema to watch Hadestown: The Musical.
I saw the Hadestown proshot Sunday night with friends and loved it so much that I'm going back with a different group of friends. Part of the fun is introducing people to something you love. And even though I already know what's coming, I always catch different details the second time around. Great art has a way of rewarding repeat visits.
Apparently, I'm getting back into going to the movies again.
Yesterday it was Toy Story 5. Today it's Hadestown. After years of streaming most of my entertainment at home, it feels good to have a reason to leave the house, sit in a dark theater with a room full of strangers, and be reminded that some stories are best experienced together.
Maybe that’s another form of self-care.
Because taking care of ourselves isn’t just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about staying flexible, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s about stretching ourselves before life forces us to.
Today’s schedule includes medicine, mental health, movement, music, and mythology.
Honestly, that’s not a bad way to spend any day that ends in “y.”
Here’s to maintaining the body, stretching the mind, opening the heart, and leaving room to experience some joy along the way.
Keep calm and get your cinema on!
Clint 🌈✌️
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
NSFW MONTAGES = On Substack
SFW MONTAGES = On YouTube
BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY
07-30 = Frank Coombs (1906-1941) = English artist and art dealer 🌈
07-30 = Pascal Smet (1967- ) = Belgian politician 🌈
07-30 = Sean Patrick Maloney (1966- ) = American politician 🌈
MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY
“If you’re paying attention and you’ve been a good listener, you learn every day.”
Finneas
I agree with your re-interpretation of self care. The comments here agree and perhaps you are preaching to the choir and the choir are singing back.
Good job, Clint. Taking the holistic approach to self-care. It's never too early or too late to care for ourselves. I really don't care how long I live, but I do care that I have quality of life. While I am slowing down, and I can't do many of the things I used to do, I'm still able to get around pretty easily. About your back... most guys I know who are as tall as you have back problems. All the best to you!