A night at the gym by Lee En

As I was pounding away on the treadmill the other night, the three ghosts of Christmas came avisiting.

The ghost of the past hung stolidly on the glass walls in front of me, standing out starkly against the dewy panes. He beckoned me to look back into my past but I closed my mind's eye and upped my running speed and pounded and pounded, harder and harder. Insistent and unwavering, he hung still in front of me, flashing images that have yet to fade from my memory. I remember, and slowly, I let the sadness fill me.

Satisfied, the ghost of the past left.

The ghost of the present shone in front of me then. I saw all the marvellous things in my life that I am happy with and grateful towards. My friends, my family, my health and the little things that bring a smile to my face everyday... I remember, and I let the sunshine glow in me...

Content, the ghost of the present left.

I pounded and pounded and pounded, waiting for the ghost of the future. I knew that he would come and with growing trepidation, I pounded and pounded. What would my future be with all of that in the past and what I have in the present. Then I remembered what dajie told me, if you just sit down and look at yourself right now, it's not hard to see what you'll be in the future. Then I looked into myself and I feared and I hoped. There, sitting restlessly within me, was the ghost of the future. Staring down at his feet and rocking from side to side, he stayed there for a long while.

I stared and stared at the ghost of the future. Until he stilled himself, got up and strolled away.

With a wipe of my towel, I continued pounding and pounding and pounding, soaring in the feel of sweat running down my face...

~

"Here are my favourite lines, written by my old friend heddwig: The sun is always shining. Even though clouds may come along and obscure the sun for a while, the sun is always shining. The sun never stops shining. And even though the earth turns, and the sun appears to go down, it really never stops shining."