Being one of the most stubborn people I know, I hate being told what to do. Anyone who knows me even a little isn’t shocked by this “revelation.”
And yet, today at noon, I’m willingly letting a personal trainer tell me what to do. Within reason. It’s a free session at my new gym, and if past experience is any guide, he’ll also be pitching me on why I need his services to help (re)build this bear.
I’ll warn him upfront that my budget doesn’t allow for extras, but I know the upsell instinct is strong. So I’m planning to show up with an open mind and be on my best behavior.
Not because I’ve suddenly fallen in love with authority (or men with really nice pecs), but because I want to (re)learn as much as I can about working out in a gym again.
And as a freelancer myself, I respect the hustle and know all too well that the struggle is real. Mighty, mighty real. 💃🪩🕺
It’s been a while since I’ve been to the gym regularly. When you’re out of practice, machines, weights, racks, and routines can all start to blur together. But now that my gym is so close and my doctors have cleared me to exercise, I’m out of excuses. It’s time to get in there and work it out.
Having someone walk me through the basics—even if they’re secretly trying to make a sale—feels like a fair trade-off.
Besides, there’s something oddly satisfying about taking control of my own fitness journey by doing the one thing I resist most: letting someone else guide me, even for an hour.
If nothing else, I’ll leave a little wiser, a little sore, and a lot more ready to keep working it out—on my own stubborn terms.
Keep calm and exercise on!
Clint 🌈✌️
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FYC = FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
ON THIS DAY = SEPTEMBER 22
BIRTHDAYS
1885 = Erich von Stroheim = Austrian-American actor and filmmaker
1891 = Alma Thomas = American painter and educator
1892 = Billy West = American actor, director, and producer
1895 = Paul Muni = Ukrainian-born American actor
1902 = John Houseman = Romanian-American actor and producer
1909 = Allan Lane = American actor
1909 = John Engstead = American photographer and journalist
1921 = Will Elder = American illustrator
1932 = Ingemar Johansson = Swedish boxer
1943 = Toni Basil = American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
1956 = Debby Boone = American singer, actor, and author
1956 = Doug Wimbish = American singer-songwriter
1957 = Nick Cave = Australian singer-songwriter, author, and actor
1958 = Andrea Bocelli = Italian singer-songwriter
1958 = Joan Jett = American singer-songwriter and actor
1961 = Bonnie Hunt = American actor, producer, and talk show host
1961 = Catherine Oxenberg = American actor
1965 = Dan Bucatinsky = American actor and filmmaker 🌈
1987 = Tom Felton = English actor
EVENTS
1789 = The office of United States Postmaster General is established.
1869 = Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold, the first of his cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, premieres at National Theatre Munich.
1910 = The Duke of York's Picture House opens in Brighton, now the oldest continually operating cinema in Britain.
1953 = The Four Level Interchange, first stack interchange in the world opened in Los Angeles.
1976 = Red Dye No. 4 is banned by the US Food and Drug Administration after it is discovered that it causes tumors in the bladders of dogs.
1982 = Family Ties premieres on ABC.
1987 = Full House premieres on ABC.
1989 = Baywatch premieres on NBC.
1991 = The Dead Sea Scrolls are made available to the public for the first time.
1994 = Friends premieres on NBC.
1995 = Empire Records is released in theaters.
1995 = Seven is released in theaters.
1995 = Showgirls is released in theaters.
2019 = Billy Porter becomes the first openly gay Black man to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role on Pose.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Seeds not planted or tended by choice tend to be weeds, so at least for me, it's very helpful to consciously and periodically choose which seeds I want to water, and to think through what I expect to happen from that watering. Investors can spend a lot of time and energy reacting to the latest bits of news and trying to predict the next surprise, rather than choosing a consistent set of daily actions that they can carry out as things develop, regardless of how they develop.”
John Houseman
You, go Clint, indeed!
Please note that Dan Bucatinsky needs a rainbow icon next to his name, as he has a husband.
Best wishes at that scary place, the gym.
🎶🎶 Go Clint Go!! with call and response to the tune of Toni Basil🎶🎶 How well I remember being the group leader taking Circuit Classes at the Gym. More so in the day of all male Y's A group circuit session, (swim optional) open showers then down to the bar for a few 🍻 and luxuriate in male bonding before everyone heading home. I got into the habit of 85 lengths (1 mile) swim daily, often running to the gym and back (even after a 🍻) So I wanna know where I started with bloody circulation issues which spoils my quality of life now gggggrrrrrr However Clint Chin up and your taking your first step again. You're taken so many new first steps this summer/year, so I award you a 🎖️🏅for effort. Cheers DougT 🇫🇴🇬🇧