If that’s not the weirdest blog title, it must be close.  I am guessing that some of you (maybe many of you) are not old enough to have heard this idiomatic expression.  It goes sort of like this:  “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”  And I think the gist of it is that you can’t manufacture some fancy, refined quality item out of ordinary, everyday cheap materials.  For the most part, I would agree with this.  But I don`t think it ALWAYS holds true.  I believe that, sometimes, you CAN make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, figuratively speaking, of course.  Here’s what I’m driving at.

Yesterday, I had conversations with two different people who, independently of one another, told me that they had “discovered” a way to use time that would otherwise be wasted.  In one case, it was waiting for the photocopier to do its thing.  In the other case – well, I don’t want to go into details, but let’s say it involved someone who was zealously hydrating. . .  They both discovered that you can use this time to do squats.  The silk purse here is the fitness benefit of doing squats.  They will be stronger and more agile.  And the sow’s ear, I guess, is unavoidable wait time.

The best part of this whole story, to me, is that I see people looking around and finding opportunities to make wasted time into productive time that benefits their own wellness.  I think it reflects a positive fitness attitude that can pull an exercise opportunity right out of thin air.  Like when my brother made improvised kettlebells out of washer fluid bottles:  4Kg with handles!  Free!

So keep your eyes peeled for sow’s ears.  You might be able to make your own silk purse.