I was running late to get to Barwis on Monday. I didn’t have to work (It was the 1st day of Christmas Break) and I spent the day lazily watching TV. (Mike told me that he could tell (my legs were PRETTY tight)). I opened the door to Mike clicking his teeth at me because I was late. I hurriedly put my hat, gloves, and my Dad’s Army jacket on the chairs and headed over to the blue table as is the custom now. I laid on my back and Mike started to put me in the infamous “Oh Doggie!” stretch. This stretch is still intense and Mike let out a low “Ooh Doggie.” He did this a few times and asked me if I was going to say it. I said that I was just going to “suffer in silence” through gritted teeth with my eyes squeezed tightly shut as he pressed his right hand on my left shoulder. I was COMPLETELY thinking “Ooh Doggie!” but I wasn’t going to say it. Mike was having too much fun making fun of me and saying it a bunch of times.
I remember telling Jesse once that he wasn’t like one of my brothers or one of my colleagues or one of my friends but there was a stronger “something” of how I felt about him; he was helping me to walk again. That was mind-blowing for me!!! I don’t remember specifically the day where I got really comfortable with Jesse but it was early on, with Adam too (Well yeah – I called him “Phil”). Barwis is the one place in the world where I feel completely comfortable in my hope to walk again. ALL the men who have worked with me (Jesse, Phil, and now Mike) ALL have felt how tight my legs can be and have stretched me with great exertion to loosen them up and they have ALL picked me up. (This is a BIG thing because I KNOW I’m pretty hefty!).
I have felt close to my previous trainers, Jesse and Phil. Mike became my trainer the Monday AFTER Thanksgiving and here it was, the Monday BEFORE Christmas and Mike was completely comfortable enough to make fun of my “Ooh Doggie”s. In a strange way, it kind of gave me a certain level of comfort. I have many fond memories of laughing with Jesse and Phil (mostly at my expense) over the past 16 months and now I have a memory of laughing with Mike (at my expense) and that is comfort for me.