There are moments in life that feel like endings.

But what if there's simply the next version of you?

A question that brings me right to the present moment.

It's funny how something so small can undo something so sacred.

This time, it's something as arbitrary as back spasms.

A sharp pain when I breathe in, it kind of moves different places in my upper left back

to my lat shoulder.

And at first it was, you know, kind of an afterthought.

It was like, okay, you know, it'll heal.

I'll be fine in a few days.

After all, part of getting older and lifting is working around these things.

You're never 100% perfect.

It's been almost three weeks now.

And instead of healing, it's getting worse, right?

It hurts to sleep, hurts to breathe.

Even thinking about a pull-up feels like betrayal.

And here's the part worth examining.

I didn't think it would hit this hard.

But here I am, canceling workouts with friends,

texting, hey, sorry man, got to skip today.

That Murph workout, I was so pumped to do, that ritual of strength and struggle, you know,

shared with people I respect.

...