ELLIPTICAL

I have always had a touch of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). Maybe it's a mild case. It's not "MONK"-style or anything, but it's still there.

When I was a kid, I would take my case of Matchbox cars and would set them all out on the oval braided rug and drive them one-by-one around the track the rug provided. No traffic jams allowed. All very orderly.

I'm the kind of person who sometimes feels it necessary to make sure the alarm is set at bedtime -- maybe 3 or 4 times before I can trust it.

I have my shirts in my closet lined up by the colors of the spectrum ... red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet - plus brown, then gray, black and white.

I have been at checkout counters waiting for the cashier to ring me up and - without thinking much about it - I'm re-arranging the display on the counter to help it 'make more sense.' Just trying to be a good citizen.

When the grips or ushers move the table and chair into place on Sunday morning for me to speak, if they aren't 'square' with the platform, I have to subtly move them so they ARE. You haven't noticed that, have you? I thought I was being subtle, I said.

So today - at the gym- I'm on the elliptical going at it and I'm listening to Nat King Cole on my ipod. And I found myself having -- I say, HAVING - to pump the foot pedals and handles of the elliptical to the BEAT of the song I was listening to ... down and up on every beat EXACTLY. When the song ended and a new one started with a different tempo, I'd have to adjust the ryhthm of my ellipticaling. It was a particular challenge on a couple of songs that were kind of easy and free with the tempo -- I found myself speeding up -- then slowing way down -- then going medium -- no, faster -- oops, slower now. It was a mess to watch, I'm sure. And when one of the songs had a really slow tempo, I must have looked like I was ellipticaling thru mud - or totally worn out.

I don't know if anyone was looking at me or not. I was just enjoying the music.

And be blessed.