MOUNTAINS VERSUS MOLEHILLS

…I’ve got my strength
And it don’t make sense
Not to keep on pushin’
~Curtis Mayfield

Don’t know who in the hell came up with the saying, “stop making a mountain out of a molehill,” but um, I have beef with them. You see, I have found in recent weeks that in fact, molehills can actually be mountains. While working on my exercise regiment for three months, using the outdoors plus anything I could find in the house and my imagination, I got in good shape. I was confident that I could not only “Be All That I Could Be” when I re-enlisted in the coming months, but I could also successfully combat any genetic or stray disease that came my way.

There are three massive hills, junior-sized mountains, within a half of a mile of where I live—almost a 35% upgrade. I slowly, but surely overcame them inside of about 60 days. Slowly, surely. Yes, there were days when I had to walk those hills; but as soon as I got to the top, I started running again. Eventually, I was able to run up those “mini-mountains,” at a moderate pace, of course, with little to no ease.



Now, the minor bumps in the road, 10% to 15% upgrade—the molehills, if you will, I never gave a second thought. I would race over those with near maximum speed and arrogant determination. “Shoot. Little ass hill ain’t nothing,” I would brag as I increased my stride and pumped my arms to whatever song I was listening to on my MP3 player.

Alas, that was in April.

Then suddenly and unceremoniously, I hit the wall, as Cliff Huxtable once explained on “The Cosby Show.” And it was not just any wall, y’all. It was the small hills along my route that were giving me as a fellow writer says, “the business.” All of a sudden I could not make it over the molehills. I would get half way atop them and have to either slow to a walk or a damn near crawl (say what?).



Cannot pinpoint exactly why this is happening, or specifically now. Heat, maybe (this is the hottest summer on record in a long time)? Lack of rest, perhaps (admittedly, I need to go to bed a LOT earlier)? Increased stress about re-enlisting (can I keep up with the young ‘uns?)? I just don’t know. But it got me to thinking about theoretical or figurative molehills.

It’s not the big fights with the ex-in-laws that drive you crazy. It’s the “little” comments about your kids’ clothes or behavior. It’s not the fact that the co-worker you have no love for purposely passes by your desk eight times in one morning talking loud and being disruptive, but the fact that she looks you in the eye when she does it. It’s not the fact that that there is no more orange juice in the house and your mouth was “all set” for some OJ. It’s when somebody’s trifling ass leaves the (large) bottle in the fridge with less than a swallow that you wanna scream. So yes, dammit, the small shit—the “molehills,” they matter.

What am I going to do about my molehills—literal and metaphoric? Shit, I have no idea. But it seems to me when you acknowledge them, realize & believe that you are bigger than they are, and make a plan, they can be eradicated just as easily as they appeared. Just takes patience; lots of patience…

Axe.

Currently Reading: Various Army History tidbits (if you have one that is interesting or unusual, please share!)
Currently Listening To: Keep On Pushing by Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions