ELLIS: Get fit and stay healthy
I read with great interest Charles E. Richardson's confession of being out of physical shape and pledging to do something about it. I wish to congratulate him on his fitness journey and encourage him to stick with it. He challenged all of us to do some type of physical exercise at least three to four times each week, while giving up some unhealthy foods, such as sugary drinks and ice cream.
Well Charles, I am with you on everything but the ice cream; fat chance of that happening in my house, no pun intended. However, we all should get off our backsides and do some sort of physical activity, and I don't mean walking to the mailbox or turning the meat on the grill. Macon has more than its fair share of convenience stores selling unhealthy food, which causes us to have more than our fair share of dialysis centers treating those who are in need of such care. All of us must understand the correlation between kidney, heart and other diseases, and eating unhealthy foods, eating too much, and not exercising. I know there are exceptions to almost everything, but generally speaking, I bet I'm right.
I have discovered a group that doesn't need Charles, me or anyone else to tell them about the true value of exercising. I'm referring to a group of fine citizens I call the Macon Mall Walkers. I normally ride my bike or walk outside for my exercise, but with the rain and cold weather that we have experienced the past three months, I went inside of the Macon Mall and discovered a committed group of young, old and everything in between huffing and puffing at least four days a week in the climate-controlled mall.
The oldest member among us is a 101-year-old retired educator and Pearl Harbor survivor by the name of Fred Johnson. Mr. Johnson is an inspiration to us all, and is a living testament of the value of exercising and taking better care of yourself. I have met many new people and gotten reacquainted with others during my morning walk in the mall. Some walk faster than others, but all are putting one foot before the other and doing what they can, and doing it well.
I don't know if I would have met Mr. Johnson if it wasn't for the Mall Walkers. But, I'm sure glad I met him, and you would be, too, for he inspires us all to move a little faster, and perhaps go that one last lap although you may be a bit tired. If a 101-year-old man can walk three or four days a week for exercise, the rest of us are just flat out of excuses.
Now that spring is just around the corner, I will be getting back on my bike and walking outside again, but I'm sure going to miss my new found friends — black, white, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, young and old. I don't remember all of their names, but they have been really friendly toward me, and I will miss the big smiles and the waves from across the mall. Charles, I invite you and others to join this group a few days a week. Who knows, maybe Mr. Johnson will give you a few tips on healthy living while you stroll around the Macon Mall.
In closing, I would like to thank the management and staff of the Macon Mall for allowing so many of us to walk long before the stores open for business. So come on Macon and Bibb County citizens — let's get fit and stay healthy.
C. Jack Ellis is a former mayor of Macon.
This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 9:36 PM.