PAX: Astro, Breezy, Cauliflower, Grisham, Franklin, Lite Brite, Yoga Mat, Shipyard, Fruit Loop, Term Paper, Sbarro
PAX (not in Slack): Charmin
FNGs: None
COUNT: 12
Last night was the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish holiday celebrating the start of the new year. By tradition this is the 5,785th anniversary of the day when Adam and Eve were created, but in modern practice, Rosh Hashanah is a holiday centered around taking stock of the past year – think of it as the annual self-assessed performance review for how you’re doing as a human.
During the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we’re called to reflect on our deeds over the past year. For me, that means I think about the impacts of my actions on myself, my family, friends and colleagues, my community, and the entire world.
What am I proud of?
What could I have done better? And how will I make that change in the year to come?
In the late 18th century, the Polish Rabbi Simcha Bunim taught that we should all carry a note in each pocket.
In one pocket, the note says “I am but dust and ashes.”
And in the other pocket, the note says “For my sake was the world created.”
And we should reach for these reminders when needed. When we are feeling high and mighty, we should remind ourselves of our frailty and fallibility. And when we’re feeling low, discouraged, or incapable we should remember the support and love of the world around us.
We took these themes, sort of, into the workout. After a speed walk around the pickle we circled up for 15 arm circles, 8 overhead claps, 5 Mike Phelps, 3 of something else, 2 of something else, 1 burpee, and then 1 more burpee. The pax were confused by my counting. SCS with some pigeon and then it was time for the thang.
6 exercises (using two small rocks) with increasing counts, then we grab a pain stick and do a blockchain (kidney stone?) around the pickle.
Exercises: Side straddle hop, Heels to heaven, Overhead press, Freddy Mercury’s, Astrojacks, Rock rows.
Counts: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
BiB bros did a perfectly timed flyby, joining the blockchain as they did. The pax took a bit to figure out what a Shofar is (it’s a trumpet made from a rams horn that’s traditionally used as a call to prayer during Rosh Hashanah). TP figured out the counting was the Fibonacci sequence. Complaints that the exercises alternated (nearly) between standing and on the ground were greatly enjoyed by the Q. Life is full of ups and downs, after all.
Also, it was acknowledged that at an offsite meeting in an undisclosed location, the stonecutters ceremonial chalice was passed off to YHC and Fruit Loop. A significant decline in the quality of parking is expected.