“Hell, let’s try it again – jogging everyday at 6.30.a.m. starting tomorrow.” Right then. That was the plan.

Next morning with help from my alarm I dragged myself out of bed- Donned my clothes – dragged on my joggers and slowly, very slowly commenced to climb the pathway to the small hill near my house.

After twenty minutes I was stuffed – had gone up and down the hill four times. (O.K. it’s not a big hill) but even so I arrived home hot, sweaty and exhausted. How the hell was I going to do this every day?

Many of my friends say they enjoy walking with a partner, or in a group. Not me! Mainly because I can hardly breathe never mind carry on a conversation with a partner at that time in the morning, as for being part of a group- It wouldn’t be long before I was left well and truly behind. The entire group would be lapping me as I struggled to keep up. I still shudder at these thoughts. No, I was much better on my own doing my own thing.

Next day off I went again, still managed only 20 minutes, still came back hot sweaty and stuffed. The morning showers were so good I almost spent more time in there than I did on my walk.

My next door neighbor (indeed perhaps the whole village) hearing my feeble attempts to climb the hill which I had nicknamed Mt. Everest, called in to see me as I sat on my steps struggling to remove my joggers. and said “I’ve just bought an I Pod. It’s really great. When I go walking I listen to Vivaldi’s four seasons, and it’s so good especially when I’m in the forest (well we have a nice reserve of trees here!) I just feel I could walk for miles!” “Oh really?” I replied, panting away...”You should get one, “he said.” Try mine tomorrow if you like- you’ll see what I mean.”

Well tomorrow dawned and with my neighbor’s IPod firmly in place off I went. Still had to drag myself out of bed, and struggle with the joggers, but when I switched on the music, well I almost ran up the pathway. Amazing feeling. I felt like Rocky – (that’s the next song that I will be downloading...) as he pounded up the stairs. I even stood at the top of the hill and raised my arms in a Rocky salute. (God only knows what my neighbors think of me now) Of course I had to return the IPod, but I called my favorite IT person, my grandson, and off we went shopping for an IPod for Gran.

I now am the proud possessor of a pink IPod! My grandson thought it was so gay Gran! I didn’t care though!  He downloaded all my favorite albums- Neil Diamond’s Hot August Night. Abba. Vivaldi. Mozart- Ravel’s Bolero. (I have eclectic taste in music!) This tiny machine can hold over 500 songs – It’s called the Apple iPod shuffle, and I can skip from one album to another – Every morning I am walking further and longer thanks to the sound of music.( Isn’t that the name of a movie?!)