A tale of two goals

As I reflect back on the year, I think that a celebration of both my successes and my works-in-progress is in order.

I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, but this past year, there were two goals that I set my sights on achieving.
I wanted to do a pull-up.

And I wanted to finish watching “Gilmore Girls” with my daughter.

Both of these goals required hours of commitment, of showing up, even when I was tired, when there was laundry to fold, or
more scholarly goals to pursue. I’ll admit that there were times when I thought I should just give up, moments when my ambition so exceeded my abilities that I felt like a fool for even trying.

But I am thrilled to report that with roughly five weeks to go until the end of the calendar year, my girl and I watched the final episode of Season 7. Oh, the sweet rewards of perseverance and tenacity.

And while I proudly accept your sincere esteem for my admirable sticktoitiveness, I will also share that my pull-up is still stubbornly lacking in its up.

When I started going to the gym over a year ago, I was able to hang on the bar and let my feet dangle in a manner that no one would refer to as impressive. After a few months of this, I graduated to swinging my feet erratically while making unattractive noises. And today, I can pull myself about a fraction of an inch toward the bar twice in a row before passing out on the gym floor.

Turns out that perseverance and tenacity are lying creeps who tease you into thinking you can do stuff if you just continue showing up. Jerks.

I like going to the gym. It’s social, it gives structure to my week, and I hear that it can be rewarding. Though it’s often hard to hear the people who are saying this over my own unattractive sounds. It is motivating, if not exceedingly humbling, to never be the strongest or fastest person in the room. Sometimes I start gym-karaoke just to feel better about myself. And while my rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer” is tight, it’s not enough to get my head above that bar.

I also love the challenge of trying to win praise from the gym instructors. They walk around the room while I jump on and off boxes, swing kettlebells in the air, and dangle erratically, all while hoping that they will say something, anything, that will make me feel like I’m not the hottest of all the messes.

So far the closest I’ve gotten is, “Kally, I think you should try a scaled down version of this exercise.” But man if that doesn’t sound almost like approval …

When I have exhausted myself at the gym, I go home to soothe my tired muscles and aching ego on the couch with the iconic Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. My daughter and I began the noble pursuit of watching “Gilmore Girls” years ago. With relative consistency, we made time once or twice a week to sit and watch together. We debate the merits of various plotlines and male suitors. We cringe as characters make bad decisions. After an hour of feeling inferior at the gym, it feels extraordinarily good to judge others for their hot messiness.

As I reflect back on the year, I think that a celebration of both my successes and my works-in-progress is in order. I am planning a “Gilmore Girls” siyum (completion ceremony) where my daughter and I will go to a coffee shop and say witty things to each other at a very fast pace. Then I will take her to a local park and show her how little I have accomplished in the pull-up department. I might even hum a few bars about how Tommy used to work on the docks. She will cringe at my unattractiveness, and she will pretend with frightening conviction that she is not wildly proud of me.

I don’t know what this coming year has in store. My goals include spending less time worrying about Iran and more time doing gym karaoke. I hope to find a new series to watch with my daughter. I will pursue the pull-up and continue seeking that ever elusive praise from the gym instructors. It’s good to have a range of goals; some attainable, some in need of a scale-down. Because there is nothing as unattractive as aimlessness (This is false! You can be as unattractive as you set your mind to. I believe in you!).

My boy Bon Jovi already told me that I’m halfway there, and that definitely sounds like approval. PJC

Kally Rubin Kislowicz grew up in Pittsburgh and made aliyah from Cleveland to Efrat in 2016. This article was first published on The Times of Israel.