You can teach an old dog new tricks

Yesterday, I had a revelation about behavior change. Let me set the stage. As I left home to walk to Weight Watchers with my son and my husband, my husband asked me if I really wanted to break in my new walking shoes on a three- mile walk. Thinking I knew what I was doing because the new shoes are the same size and brand as my old shoes, I said I was wearing the new shoes.

Three blocks into the walk to the meeting, the pain set in and by the time I reached my destination, both of my ankles were rubbed raw and my socks were spotted with blood. My husband and son decided that after the meeting, they would walk home, get the car and drive back and get me.

I sat through the meeting annoyed at myself for not listening to my husband’s advice. I realized that I wasn’t upset because of my bleeding feet, but because I couldn’t walk home.

My husband came to the rescue when he met me at the end of the meeting. He had continued his walk to a grocery store and came back armed with band-aids and antibacterial ointment. He bandaged both ankles and then offered to walk home, get the car and come back and get me.

Once the ankles were protected, I decided to walk home. Before Weight Watchers, I wouldn’t have walked three miles anywhere, and I definitely would have taken the offer of the ride home.

More proof that you can teach an “old dog” new tricks.

Talk to you soon.