This is our American stories, and we tell stories about everything here on this show.

Our next story comes to us from Paul in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Paul moved our listeners with his story Wilbur and the

empty nestor. We asked him if he had any more. Here he is with the story titled A Baby Boomers

Battle with Insanity and Fitness. A handful of years ago, I had to come to grips and admit

that I was fighting and losing battle, trying shamelessly to hold on to my youth.

And so I made an executive decision.

Here's the deal.

I was six months from hitting the dreaded age of 50.

I was not only over the hill, but I was also out of shape.

I had gotten lazy, and I had become a viewer and critic of the sports I loved rather than

a participant. It was the debt of a frozen Minnesota winner, and I was become a viewer and critic of the sports I loved rather than a participant.

It was the debt of a frozen Minnesota winter, and I was feeling fat.

I decided I needed to challenge myself to get into reasonable shape.

It would be easy.

I would start exercising more and get back to my college weight before the summer started and feel as young as ever.

At 6'6 foot 6, the 30 pounds I had gained over the years came on easily and slowly year after year, as I settled into my career as a computer programmer.

But at age 49, I had to face the facts.

It was time to stop blaming my clothes dryer for my tightly fitting shirts.

Time to fess up that my scale is not broken, no matter how many times

I stepped on it each morning, hoping for a better result. That shameful number displayed was

indeed correct. It was time to admit it. My waistline was growing as steadily as the stock

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