Day 45: A Bit Fit - Hurrah!

I was an actor in a past life – twenty something years ago, not an actual past life. Not a famous actor but good enough and lucky enough to be working more months in the year than not. I did mainly theatre work but every once in a while, I would do a television programme.?

The one I’m thinking of was a children’s programme called Pigsty and if my memory serves me it was set in a pizza parlour run by a Del Boy type who managed three pigs.? The pigs were played by humans with pig’s heads.? I did say it was children’s TV right?

The character I played was a fitness instructor from Jamaica.? I’m really not sure how I got that job because I was so not right for the part. My Jamaican accent was truly terrible, and I’m not just saying that. It was terrible on the scale of Don Cheadle’s Cockney accent in the Ocean’s movies or for people of our generation, Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.

It was that bad.?

There was another reason I was unsuitable for this role. As I said, the character was a fitness instructor. Well anyone who knows me knows doesn’t really know me for exercise (except maybe walking) and anyone who knew me then knew that exercise really wasn’t my thing. In fact, I used to pride myself on being able to declare that I didn’t do any exercise that required my heart to beat faster than sleeping.

Yes I used to say that.

?So how did I get that role? I got that role because I lied.

?OK, not lied lied but – OK you judge:

?Director: I can tell you’re really fit.

?My response? I give a simpering smile and say nothing. So you see it’s not a lie lie, is it?

?And I get the job.

?Fast forward a few weeks and we’re filming on location in Ravenscourt Park.? The Director tells me that the scene will be filmed with me running across the park and saying my lines ALL in one take. I didn’t say anything, I didn’t argue I just did it.

?All I will say is that we didn’t do it in one take and I did my best.

?After the first take, as I staggered the last steps to the point where he would call ‘Cut’, the Director caught my eye.? He didn’t say anything and neither did I, he adjusted the way the scene would be filmed and we never spoke about it.

?This story came to mind today after I decided on my ‘something for the first time.’ It was unintentional, I found out about it this morning and decided to own it and celebrate it. So. what was it?

Well.

I told you about my friend Farah and how she Fit Bit friended me? (See day 33). Well last week she invited me to participate in a 5-day challenge called ‘Work Week Hustle.’? I accepted the invite with no idea of what it involved. It turns out that we compete based on the number of steps we take. I have a target of 10,000 per day which I usually achieve if I leave the flat and it can be as low as 3000 if I stay in.

?Several years ago, walking became my preferred choice of exercise.? In fact, it’s my preferred mode of transport, but of course, living in London it isn’t feasible, especially where I am now. I was out and about a lot more than usual last week and I did the Zumba class so my total was 70790 steps in 5 days. I have never won a physical exercise competition by myself because I wouldn’t normally compete for something like that and today I won and I’m feeling very pleased with myself.

‘Yaaaaay!’

?Let see what happens next week – the person who was the forerunner at the beginning of last week complained that his Fitbit didn’t properly sync with the game.

Could that have an adverse effect on my ranking next week (yes, I accepted the challenge again!).

?We’ll see.