This lady did her exercise routine near the tot lot, utterly unconcerned with anyone looking at her workout.
I loved watching her. She was doing some kind of movement exercise, slow and thoughtful, sort of dance-like. Not one bit of self consciousness at all. Neither was she concerned, evidently, what anyone thought of her fashion sense. I used to live freely like that, and like her experienced no particular judgement on my choice of hairstyle or clothing. Friends and colleagues just accepted me as me, and I did the same. Somewhere along the line I learned to worry about such things, and started dressing to silence the critical voice that surely lurks behind the lips of everyone who sees me. No one’s said a word from then till now, but I assume it’s there all the same.
It’s kind of amazing what a powerful prison our own minds are. Watching her dance helped let me out of mine.
