THE BIG BREAKUP

For the past 16 years, I've been a member of eight (!) gyms. I'd join one, barely go, and then join a new one, thinking "Okay, this is going to be the place I love to come to to get into shape! This is it!" And maybe, once in a while, I'd go a bunch of times in a row and be proud of myself. But guess what? It never lasted.

Two days ago, I was on the treadmill at the YMCA. I was bored out of my mind, and the surrounding scenery - grey walls and the backs of people's heads - was utterly uninspiring.

"Why do I do this?" I wondered. It wasn't the first time I had asked myself the question, but this time the question became a decision: "I'm going to quit the gym." And by "the gym," I meant any and all gyms.

Then another question arose in my mind: "What will I do and where will I go to get into shape?" And another thought came to me: "Just trust that if you close the door, a window will open. The right opportunities will present themselves."

The next night, I went to Brooklyn Arts Exchange to take a dance class. The teacher was nice and the music had a good beat. I was doing something that was interesting and that required me to pay attention, not just pound my feet on a conveyor belt like some mindless robot. (Sorry, treadmill fans! No disrespect meant!)

Then my cousin told me she was going to take a class at The Mark Morris Dance Center at Brooklyn Academy of Music. I went to their website and, lo and behold, they offer a whole bevy of fun-sounding dance classes!

This means that my dream of dancing again is coming true. I see a whole future of having fun and connecting to music and people while getting back into shape.

I know I could be stuck on the thought, "Geez, why didn't I figure this out sooner?" But, as they say in Spain, "Mas vale tarde que nunca!"

Photo credit: Andrew MacPherson for British Vogue, March 1993