Lately I’ve made a habit of scanning the Obituaries in our local newspaper. Since we’re not natives, it isn’t often that I come across someone I know, but I find reading about the lives of those who have passed fascinating, especially when the deceased has led a long and productive life. Yesterday I was saddened to see the smiling face of a person I didn’t really know but had encountered many times over the six years we’ve lived in Greene, Mr. Ronnie Lamm.
The first time I saw Mr. Lamm was at Anytime Fitness. I think it was in the fall of 2011. I’d just started my biweekly training sessions with Lorenzo and was feeling a little shaky about what I’d gotten myself into. I was not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination and wasn’t certain I was up for the challenge. So, there I was, beginning my warmup on the elliptical machine when I saw the door open and in walked two men facing each other. One was walking backwards, holding the hands of the other who walked stiff-legged in small steps through the door. It was obvious that the leader was a trainer and the other recovering from a debilitating physical event like a stroke. More impressively and equally as obvious was the positive spirit the weaker man possessed as his face shone with a smile that exuded a complete trust in his trainer as he inched his way to the recumbent bike. I was so struck by this man’s cheerful determination that I decided then and there that if he could make such positive effort to workout and improve his physical condition, so could I.
As the weeks passed, I looked forward to seeing Mr. Lamm at they gym. It’s a small space so it’s easy to get to know the faces you see routinely. Each time I passed him on his bike he gave me a big smile and said hi which I returned in kind. He may have thought I was merely offering kindness but I believe I received much more from him that I could have given him. He became my muse, my inspiration to keep going.
When the spring came and I stopped by the local garden spot to pick up some annuals, I found Mr. Lamm sitting in a wheelchair on the front porch of the store. I learned that his son ran the store and Mr. Lamm was a regular fixture, greeting customers. Again I was greeted by his bright smile. I stopped and asked how he was doing. It was difficult for him to speak and it was obvious that was a major frustration. Still he labored to tell me that he was doing well. I shared with him what an inspiration he’d been to me at the gym. I wanted him to know that despite the limitations of his medical condition, his vibrancy was still apparent and impactful to the world around him. It made me a little sad and unsure if I should have shared that with him when I saw the tears welling in his eyes.
Eventually I didn’t see Mr. Lamm in the gym as much but I did see him and his wife occasionally out and about in the county. Each time I was greeted by the same bright smile.
On Monday while at they gym my trainer, Lorenzo videoed a clip of me bench pressing two thirty pound hand weights for five reps and posted it on Facebook. It was the first time I’d bench pressed the total of sixty pounds. Over the years I’ve learned to trust in myself and my trainer, just was Mr. Lamm did was he followed his trainer through the door. Because of it, I’ve grown stronger and more self-assured, choosing to be confident in attempting new things and changing my inner voice to be more positive.
There have been many factors that have made this achievement possible but I know one of them was seeing Mr. Lamm’s smile in those early days when I too was taking my first baby steps in the gym.