My Journey With Health And Fitness – Being Aware Of My Surroundings

I posted on a community page on FB Sunday asking for anyone attending a prominent local lawyer’s CoL that would be able to give my sister a ride so she could be there (we had known him forever). Most of the responses were kind and we did manage to secure her a ride. There was 1 post that derided me basically saying if I can afford to be in Mexico then surely I could afford to pay for an Uber or Lift for her. First of all, I thought this community page was supposed to be about being good to each other. Secondly, how dare this person. She doesn’t know anything about our situation nor the fact that my husband and I heavily subsidize my sister when needed. She doesn’t know that despite being retired I work while I am at the condo just so that we do have the money to come here. I ask all of you, never do what this person did.

I’ve mentioned before that I have stopped using air pods/ear buds when I am out walking or running. This is because they can lead to ear infections which is what happened to my neighbour. Instead I use over the ear headphones specifically designed for walking/running. While I was worried it would be too hot here to where them, I actually find them quite comfortable. However, last week while I was walking I was startled when someone who was out running passed me as I hadn’t heard them approach. It’s not like I was using the noise cancelling function, it’s just that these are really good headphones.

It then occurred to me that not only was I potentially putting myself at risk from vehicles but also wildlife. Remember, I have a very aggressive coati that chases me and trust me he appears out of nowhere. And so I decided to try the aweness mode and am really impressed. While I can still clearly hear whatever book I am listening to, I can also hear sounds around me and they are somewhat amplified. For example, if I reach in to my pocket to get treats for an approaching dog I can actually hear the plastic bag crinkle. I can easily hear my own foot steps as well as approaching foot steps (though not the coati’s until he is really close because he is a sneaky bastard). I now feel far more comfortable being out on my own in the mornings as I am aware of my surroundings.

On a side note, I have decided to no longer feed marshmallows to the aggressive coati as I think I am just enabling him. Instead at the advice of others I have purchased a water pistol and filled it with vinegar. Of course since I started carrying that I haven’t seen the coati but I know he is out there lurking somewhere.

As you know I am all about safety and when I find something new that may help I like to share it. So, if you are out and about with headphones on, see if there is an awareness mode, it makes all the difference in the world to ensure you can hear what is going on around you.