Quasi Barefooter Becomes Shoe-Wearer

I really like the Vibram Five-Fingers "barefoot" idea, I really do.  I really have enjoyed many walks and runs with my barefoot-like footwear (i.e. Vibram Five-Fingers Bikila and Treksport models).   However, I've come to the place where I must put my barefoot sensibilities on the shelf - or in my case, in the closet.  After all, it isn't like it it's the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I can edit, change, or dispense with my barefoot ideology all I want.  This is a blessing.

As it turns out, my non-professionally-diagnosed tendon and/or ligament injury I have sustained to my foot becomes much less painful when I wear boots and conventional running shoes with my Superfeet insoles.  This makes me a happier man right now.  Many times I can't feel any discomfort or problem whatsoever.  These are relatively heaven-like experiences: "Yes!  Look at me walking - normally!"

Why the stark difference between going barefoot and wearing footwear with Superfeet insoles?  The shoes and insoles are doing much of the work my foot (especially the arch of the foot) would have to do otherwise.  I can't walk in Vibram Five-Fingers without pain, and I can't walk barefoot without pain. I can't even use my Nike "Free" shoes without pain.  I have to dispense with the ideological barefooted naturalness and wear shoes with arch-supporting insoles - even in the house.  This would have been UNTHINKABLE before.  I hated wearing shoes in the house...but now I do it so I can function normally.

Foot injuries take a while to heal.  It may even be months before I run in the "barefoot" style again.  I'm not going to force running upon myself yet even with the conventional running shoes and Superfeet insoles.  I'll let it heal.  When I can wake up and step out of the bed barefoot without any discernible difference between the left foot and the right, only THEN will I ditch the shoe-wearing in the house.  What a relief that will be!  That will also be the time that I start wearing the Vibram Five-Fingers again for WALKING.  I'll build up strength gradually and work to the point I can briskly walk our dog Duke for 30 or more minutes in them.  As for running, I may never try and phase in quasi-barefoot running again.  At this point I don't think I want to take the chance.  I'm 36 years old and want to be able to run - safely and without injuries.  I want to run fast, and I want to run long.  I don't want any injuries.  I guess maybe I can't be quite the crunchy bare-footer I wanted to be.  Darn.

Eternal Sweetness, Richness, and Beauty

As I read my copy of Roma Aeterna (my current Latin language-learning text) I am reminded of St. Augustine's De Civitate Dei (i.e. The City of God).  Augustine, during the time of the Western empire's collapse, compared the City of Man with the City of God.  One was imperfect and temporary; the other was perfect and eternal.  I get great enjoyment from reading about Rome, the Roman Empire, and all things pertaining to it - especially in the Latin language.  There is something majestic and special about it.  Even a Christian like me can appreciate the civic virtues so valued and practiced in the ancient Roman Republic - and even the power and might which characterized the later Roman Empire.  Rome was known as the "Eternal City." However, Rome fell.  Attempts at resurrecting the empire have failed - and brought death and destruction in their wake.  Rome was not eternal.  Only the City of God is Eternal.

The City of Man is right before my eyes.  It attracts me.  It beckons me with various diversions and amusements.  It even beckons me with things of true beauty and seeming richness.  I love my family.  I am blessed by God for the wife and children He has given me.  They are all beautiful.  The plans I have for us, the love we share, and the warm feelings I have would almost lead me to believe that it (the big "IT") is all about family.  I am almost entranced by salukis.  They are beautiful, and their countenances suggest far-seeing wisdom; their movement suggests effortless almost-divine activity.  It is no secret that I am a saluki fan and that I adore my better-than-mere-dog dog.  I enjoy physical exercise.  The feeling I get from feeling my body move, from setting and training towards goals, and competition itself has been almost a "spiritual"-type feeling.  All these things I have mentioned increase my enjoyment of life.  However, in the end, all of these things come to an end.  Every saluki will eventually weaken and die - even mine.  The family life I enjoy now will not exist forever.  They will change, and it will change.  The body and physical ability I possess now will eventually decrease and come to an end - even with the best training and personal upkeep.  The things of this world that I value so much, that possess so much beauty and sweetness for me, will come to an end.

These things I have mentioned are not bad.  God has created them.  Their beauty and sweetness is real, but it is a reflected beauty and sweetness.  They are not the Source.  Their source is God.  Their reflected beauty can be snares.  I would be lying if I said I was immune to an inordinate focus on these things.  At root, my problem really seems to be the inordinate focus on myself.  Is IT all about ME, or is IT all about God? Scripture tells me that indeed the main character throughout all of history is God.  It is clearly all about God and His glory.  How wonderful it is that the Creator of all things, Who has no beginning and no end, has revealed Himself through Scripture.  The more I understand this, the more I have joyfully - and not just through a feeling of obligation -  applied myself to reading the Bible.

When I reflect upon God, His glory, and His unchanging nature, it gives me peace.  There is a richness, sweetness, and a profound and perfect beauty to it.  The sweetness of Christ is better than the best desert.  The richness and depth of God in His HolyTrinity is immeasurably more than the best cup of Peet's coffee I have ever had.  It is older, wiser, and more cherished than the best-smelling old book.  It is fresher and more relevant the the newest product from Apple.  When I read His Word, I taste the sweetness of Christ.  When I contemplate Him I feel his richness.  I can even "see" His beauty.  Those things which I know are real, yet cannot be seen, tasted, or touched in this natural world, are in fact the most real things of all.  The more I understand this the more joyful I become.  It makes me sad when I see others not sharing this.  The City of God is the True Eternal City.  May God grant me the boldness and love for neighbor to proclaim His kingdom and His Eternal City.

A Candid Look Into The Mind of the Walking Wounded

Injuries and other setbacks can cause us to modify our goals and explore options.   Due to the recent foot injury I have explored some options and even implemented some of them.  

I dusted the cobwebs off the rowing machine.  I made my bike ready for almost-daily use.  Crank hard for 1/2 hour to substitute in some way for the 1/2 hour run I would have done.  Perhaps daily pushups, squats, chin ups, even crawling.  I know crawling may look strange, but I don't care.  Perhaps crawling wouldn't hurt my foot.  Where can I get a good crawling workout?  Uh, I haven't started the crawling thing in earnest yet - but if don't have access to a bike or rowing machine for more than a day, well, I'll probably do a crawling workout.  Perhaps I can step up and down over and over again on...something...and without bending my foot in the way that hurts.  Hmmm.  I'll need a good podcast or music for that sort of drudgery, but I'll do it.  Jumping rope?  No.  That hurts...right away!  Exercise in the car...perhaps isometrics?  Tighten the muscles: Quads, abs, arms, then relax.  Wallsits.  Planks.  I wonder if using a pogo stick would be a good workout? Where can I get a good pogo stick?  How about Rollerblades?  Oh...I don't have several hundred dollars to spend.  Darn.  Too bad it can't be cheap like running.  There are many options I explore - all to keep some semblance of the athletic identity I've created for myself and which somewhat defines me.  

I'm a committed fitness person...and somewhat fanatic and obsessive.  I read once that famed Czechoslovakian runner Emil Zatopek would run, in place, in a large laundry bucket when he could not run in the normal fashion outside.  At least he could run - albeit in-place.  I can identify with Zatopek.  Great guy.  I wonder what he would do if he had a foot injury like mine.  I wonder if he liked Latin.

For now, the rowing machine and cycling will substitute for the running.  I really like rowing.  It's a great workout - though 30 minutes seems like 2 hours.  What if my foot never is 100% again?  I could remake myself as a rower - a stationary rower.  No REAL rowing (i.e. in the water).  I don't like the water and don't have that sort of time.   I'll try and be prudent and careful enough not to hurt my back while rowing - on my back porch.  If I hurt my back...well, I don't even want to contemplate it.  I'll be careful.   The cycling is going well.  I'd like a track bike.  Perhaps I could get into track cycling.  Track bikes are simple, less expensive, and easier to maintain that multi-speed road bikes.  I could be a competitive age-group (masters) track cyclist that limps when he gets off the bike.  I wouldn't care about the limp then.  I'll be a competitive age-group track cyclist stationary rower pull-up push up and wall-sit champion who also reads Latin, is a homeschooler, and knows a bit of theology...and who owns the only saluki in Los Banos.  Yeah, that's it.  

Religiosity and The Church

I recently read of a new Atheist "church" about to be launched in London.  It is interesting but not surprising.  There are even many Christians who seem to value going to church primarily for the social, musical, or ritualistic element - rather than obedience to the scriptural command to assemble together and worship God corporately as Christ's spiritual "body" on earth.  If the primary motivations for Christians often don't depend on theological convictions, then the reasons they DO go to church would probably be attractive to Atheists as well.  I think this "church" is an example of this.  This seems to also be evidence for an inherent religiosity among humans- even among the supposedly non-religious.

The social, ritual, and musical reasons are all powerful reasons for church-going.  However, for Christians they should never dominate.  The more they do, the more "religious" we may become - but the less Christian we will be.  In my own life I actually am not that attracted to the social, musical, or ritualistic element of church-going.  If I was not convinced of the scriptural command to assemble together for worship, of Christ's own institution of the physical "church",  and of the Biblical teaching of the church being representative of Christ's body on earth, I simply would not attend.  I would use that time for something else.  I am simply much more interested in Christianity and Christ than I am in Churchianity and religiosity.

Why is this important?  Christians need to make the preaching and hearing of the Word (God's Truth and marching orders) of utmost importance in the church.  The less this is done, then the more the side-benefits of church attendance will seem to be the main reasons for it.  When this happens, people like me who care little for the side elements will simply not attend.  This is already happening.  This is one reason I think church attendance has plummeted in many areas and among many denominations.

Still,  people who care little for God or are complete Atheists - but like the side benefits (mentioned in the first paragraph) will launch their own "churches." They will still value the churchiness of church. These churches will be almost indistinguishable from the supposedly "Christian" churches they mimic.  Style will reign over substance and the Christian church on earth will seem to have lost its saltiness.  This too is already happening.  Religiosity does not save the sinner from the wrath of God.  Time for another Reformation.

Homeschool Latin 2012 Success

This past year of 2012 was a success in terms of Latin language teaching and learning.  After a couple years of using Memoria Press materials, I started oldest daughter Fiona on Hans Orberg's Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata.  The first of the two books in this series is Familia Romana, a story of a first-century Roman family - completely told in Latin.  This is the same text I had struggled teaching when I taught for one year at a private Classical Christian school a few years ago.  This time however, after a couple years of my own study - my own studied application to the teaching of my own oldest daughter met with great success!  

I will outline a more detailed explanation of method later, but I will nevertheless say a few things now:

1. Year-round schooling is a good thing.
2. #1 is true because short breaks don't hurt the memory, but longer breaks do.
3. Taking only 1 chapter per month is PLENTY for this particular text.  
4. Slow and steady is good.
5. Repetition is good.
6. Over-learning is not "over" or "too much" anything.  It is probably just the right amount!
7. Going through the whole text - including doing the exercises yourself - BEFORE teaching them to your child is extremely helpful.  

Again, more specifics will (hopefully) follow.  2013 will include chapters 13-24 for Fiona.  2013 will also contain chapters (from the 2nd book, Roma Aeterna) 36-46 for me.  Like I did when  I went through the first book, I will keep a binder containing my completed exercises - much like the binder I am currently requiring for Fiona.  By the time Fiona is done with Familia Romana (end of 2014) I will have finished Roma Aeterna (56 chapters) and it will then be her turn.  Slow and steady.  Enjoy the journey.