When I was a kid we used this word “quietus.” Hardly anybody uses it anymore. Too bad, it’s a great word. For the unfamiliar I’ve aggregated several different definitions into this one.
QUIETUS: kwī.ēʹtəs
From the Latin quiētus (“at rest”).
- A stillness or pause; something that quiets or represses; removal from activity; especially: death.
- Final settlement (as of a debt).
- A wrestling hold or grip from which there’s no escape, a.k.a. the “sleeper hold.”
I’ve begun putting the quietus on myself with regard to things I’m not qualified to talk about. I’ve started going through the blog and deleting old posts that are ranty, preachy or whiny.
I don’t want to be the kind of person who does nothing to solve problems but still claims the moral high ground and claims to know exactly what people should or should not be doing.
Many of the things my father used to say, I’ve realized, are a lot wiser than I previously realized. Things like,
- “If you can’t say nothing nice, don’t say nothing at all.”
- “Mind your own business, son. Nobody likes a tattletale.”
- “Sweep out the corners. The middle of the floor can take care of itself.”
What I realized earlier this year is that I don’t want to be the kind of person who fools himself into thinking that typing a few words, or hitting a “share” or a “like” button, actually constitutes action.
And now for the workout of the week.
Cabal Fang Workout of the Week #69
- Complete a constitutional in under 20 minutes. Sprints (25 each — 5 to 10- yards, out and back = 1), Crunch ‘n’ Punch (25), Push-ups, reg. (to failure), Neck Crunches (25 each, front, left, right, back, total 100), Jump Squats, split (50), Jackknifes (25), and Push-ups, knuckle (to failure). Take as few 12-count breaks as you need to finish.
- What have you done lately? Dim the lights, be seated in your favorite meditative posture and set a timer for 10 minutes. Regulate your breathing for a minute or two. Then close your eyes and imagine there are two movies playing on a split screen in your head. The movie on the left side shows the things you’ve done recently that are sincerely selfless and genuinely altruistic. On the right screen are the things you’ve done that are self-serving, hollow and/or virtual. Which movie contains more action, is more interesting, engaging and realistic? When the timer goes off, get up slowly and stretch for a few minutes. Then record your thoughts and realizations in your training log or journal.
Robert Mitchell Jr. 