DON'T PANIC

Ellyn Ritterskamp

It's Towel Day, in memory of Douglas Adams. He was one of the coolest writers ever, and in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, he said, "Never go anywhere without your towel."

A student asked me what that meant, and I said it means different things for different people, but for me it means be prepared, but don't take anything too seriously.

So what does that mean for us and our health? (1) Be prepared: I am doing better about packing lunches and snacks for work, and stopping for ice water when I first get there. Now I can start thinking about doing that at home, too: keeping a cup of ice water on hand means I will drink it. (2) Don't take anything too seriously: It's easy to get obsessive about fitness, and maybe I would do better to go that route rather than coast. But I like the idea of easing into habits rather than being obsessive.

Like everything, there is a happy medium. Onward.

PS: DON'T PANIC is another Adamsism. It reminds me to take a breath.