In the summer of 1983, The Police were on their Synchronicity Tour, my friends and I got tickets to see them at Shea Stadium, and I was about to turn 16.
I went for a physical, required for a bike trip. That was the summer’s highlight, breaking up the doldrums of a part time warehouse job. At the doctor, I flagged an odd asymmetry in my leg and 48 hours later I was having a (benign, but we didn’t know that at the time) bone tumor removed from my fibula.
I spent the summer in a giant plaster cast (no bike trip, no swimming, no Shea Stadium, you get the picture.) I went through most of 11th grade on crutches and then a cane. I got super defined arm muscles, one very strong leg, a dramatic looking scar, and an interest in all things medical. I look back and think that this was my first tilt toward the study of Chinese medicine.
Eventually I got back to biking, then running, and along the way, yoga, all without giving much thought to my slightly compromised leg but over the past year it’s posed a few challenges, some of them pretty humbling. I’m in desperate need of a reset, and I know I’m not alone.
On the heels of one of my favorite weekends, the NYC Marathon, I’m confident that I found it. Totally inspired, once again, by the 30,000+ runners, a few of whom I’ve had the privilege of working with, I'm capturing this fabulous energy, with plenty to spare. It’s impossible to watch it and not be affected.
Especially after a year and a half of grief, loss, anxiety, and uncertainty, we’re in need of exactly this kind of soul filling event. I can’t wait to see my runners in the office this coming week for their recovery. And to share their energy, pride, and satisfaction with everyone else. As we launch into the quiet season of winter, we need all the good juju we can muster – I have some to spare, thank you runners, and look forward to sharing it with you.
You’ll find me at either my Carroll Gardens or Manhattan locations, and together we’ll continue on the path to health.
Sikowitz.com