Counting Backwards in German ( Day 141)

 Us in Epcot-Germany. 

I started a 4-week ab series on Peloton that is all in German. I did not realize it was in German when I hit start and then since I am not a quitter, I kept going, but I have no idea what she is saying. The most startling part is when she said "german something german something plank german something german something german something strong core."

I have a hard time accepting the English in the midst of the German. I am never sure if I should be doing a plank or if plank means something else and I spend most of the time trying not to injure myself while craning my neck and squinting to see what is happening.Sometimes she laughs and I don't know what's funny. Other times there seems to be yelling or motivation? I mean it is all German to me. 

The good news is, I can count backwards from 8 in German. I think that's what she is saying. She could also be reciting a sonnet or saying obscenities. I actually have no idea. 

But, hey, I am getting in touch with my German roots! And my abs are sore. So perhaps it is working. 

I often feel a little jarred by daily life. One moment everything seems in alignment and then out of no where drops a drama or a problem or a deadline or even just a random or negative thought, landing right in the middle of a perfectly good flow. 

Like Tuesday, a boy who hangs out on our street came to my backdoor when I was on my way out the door. He had an injured bird in a box. I did not have time for the bird; but then, the boy and the bird needed my time. It felt jarring--like English mixed in with German, like it did not belong there but at the same time, it totally belonged there because the world is all mixed with all these experiences and interruptions. 

So, I helped and we googled and I was just on time to pick up Nicholas and the bird, who was a fledging, flew away, finally, surrounded by his bird family and ours. 

Anyway, there is a point to all of this, I think. I think that often things seem jarring or like interruptions or point of frustration, when really those moments when we should turn our attention to what we can hear and see, instead of believing the things we were doing were more important. In fact, I sort of think that the distractions are not actually distractions, but often what is important and those things we thought were important are really the distractions. 

And maybe we shouldn't worry too much about what it all means--maybe we are counting backwards in German or maybe it is something else entirely--but that is not important. Being present is what is important--we can figure out the meaning of Universe another time when there isn't a German abs class and a fledging at our doors.