“I’m sorry but do we know this man,” whispered the Wells Fargo manager to the teller as she looked over her glasses skeptically, verifying the two signatures required on depositing the paycheck. It was 5:40PM and the bank closed in twenty minutes. Everyone wanted to go home. We had not been into this branch in over thirty days. Looking at the manger with concern and questioning her customer service etiquette, I muttered, “Certainly we had enough superficial hellos and welcome gestures these past three years to recognize this face.”
“Umm, yes, we do,” the teller said, speaking softly through her closed full teeth smile revealing her embarrassment of the manager’s ignorance. “This is Rev. Tom Lobaugh, you know the paastoorr from Trinity Presby-somethin’ church,” she smiled and nodded at me for approval. “Who,” said the manger with a continued unprofessionally loud murmur, trying to teach the teller about verifying proper identification, especially with someone the manager was suspicious.
There were two simultaneous revelations: First, each of the teller booths at the counter appeared wider causing a strange thought at how many renovations were done swiftly; and second, the manager honestly and sincerely did not recognize me. That’s how slim I had become! Everyone’s schedule modified to accommodate a new consistent work out time incongruent with what normal banking hours dictate. The only morning routine that worked with one car between the five of us, was for me to drop everyone off at work and school between 7:30 and 8AM, and then get to the YMCA for at least a :45 minute workout, putting me into the office between 10:30 and 11. Something in my deepest tendency to be liked combining with this church’s lack of boundaries created a struggle with pleasing others instead of taking time for health. So, I began re-working a new limit into the calendar curbing extra-curricular time at the gym and caving into the pressure to make everyone else happy. Those changes would have been made had it not been for the Divine’s guidance at 4:30PM with Kathy calling in a reminder, “Babe, have you deposited your paycheck yet?”
The manager, surprised after connecting with the leaner me, apologized profusely and asked if there was some sickness causing the “weight loss.” With tears welling for the greatest mistaken identity ever, I blubbered something like, “Yeah, yeah, the weight loss is intentional. I’ve slimmed 42 pounds to date. Thank you, thank you for the rest of my life for making today awesome.” She would not be the last person to be genuinely concerned and surprised with a healthier appearance.
So, as you desire to trim your beautiful self, give up and go, and TODAY keep going! TODAY is the only that matters. Everyone and their schedules will adjust and accommodate to the new you becoming who you really are. For freedom, you have been set free! Keep going and use words like, slim, slimming, and lean. They help capture a healthy positive happening. Keep going! Keep going.
Dr. Tom Lobaugh