But I know it’s one of those things where if I knew what I was missing, I would be devastated. And I know enough to know that I’m missing out on so much in life. I’ve never tried throwing paintballs, for example. I haven’t played a sport since I was 16—and even then, it was only for a year. I’ve never tried a martial art, I enjoy dancing on occasion but have never really learned how to do it well, and I would much rather lie around with a book than take a walk. I’ve always been that way; even during family trips—camping, reunions, whatever—I would bring a book. The other kids would bring bikes, fishing poles, and other playtime equipment; I brought stacks of books, or notebooks and pens, or drawing materials. I’m not saying that there is nothing wrong with these activities; on the contrary, they are so very worthwhile and awesome that I’d like to share them with everyone in the world. But they are not the end-all, be-all of living, as I’ve treated them up to this point.

So my problem is this: how do I create a decent balance between my mind and body? How do I start incorporating my body more into my life? I’m not very healthy, physical fitness wise, and would have to start slowly for sure. I’ve been able to lose some weight in the past through exercise and dieting—and do make an effort to walk around to take breaks while working—but I’ve never enjoyed it. I know that needs to be done, but that’s not exactly what I mean.

How do you implement your body into your life? I sort of treat my body like it’s not even there—an afterthought. I see myself as one of those heads—Richard Nixon, Pamela Anderson, and the like—from Futurama, just sitting in a bubble and living without a body. And I’m so blessed to have a body that works all the way! It’s a gift that should be respected and used often, not something to neglect, as I’ve done.

My husband suggested doing yoga, which I conceded might help. I’ve enrolled our daughter into a Tae Kwan Do class for the fall to prevent the same type of thing from happening in her life, and the instructor told me that I was welcome to join the family class as well. That’s another good idea… Even so, will these activities help me utilize my body more often on a day-to-day basis? I wonder if there are any other people out there who feel like I do and have ideas for remedying the situation—or have done it themselves already and could show me the ropes. I would certainly love to hear them.