This is another of my articles, which begins with wanting to get all my cards out on the table. Here are some of my cards. I’m getting old. Nevertheless, I am not sedentary. I have had a long, active life. In high school and college, I ran cross-country. Since college, I have remained active. I exercise nearly every day. Over the years, I have used a stationary bike for a couple of decades. Also, I have worked out on a treadmill and a Nordic skier. I have been using an elliptical trainer for the past decade and hardly miss a day. I also do 50 or more crunches on a simple sit-up device.

That is the backstory. I went to see Dr. Marchand several months ago. He is my primary care physician. His father was my cardiologist for years. My only complaint was getting up and down from the floor while playing with Ginger, my Irish Setter. He said to go to a sauna. If either the father or the son gives me a suggestion, I do it. I go to the YMCA in Southlake two or three times a week and spend 30 minutes in the sauna and 10 minutes in the whirlpool sauna. On days I don’t drive to the Y, I use an infrared blanket sauna for an hour at home.

While I enjoy the saunas' results, I haven’t returned to my days decades ago. So, I went to a bone and joint doctor. Before seeing the doctor, the staff took an MRI of my knees. That concerned me. The doctor came into the exam room, and I told him the same story you read. I patiently waited until I got the results of the MRI. As it turned out, my knees were okay. Relieved, I restated my issue that I exercise far more than most guys in their 80s.

Finally, the doctor said, “What if you hadn’t exercised as much as you have all the years?” Essentially, he was saying the benefits of routine exercising have paid off. He showed me some stretching exercises to do to help a little. I left feeling better psychologically than I had before going to his office.

As I drove home, my mind kept returning to his what-if comment. It haunted me. I had forgotten about the slowness of getting up from the floor. I was concerned about America. My mind raced around, thinking about what if Mitch McConnell had acted in the wake of January 6, we wouldn’t be facing the chaos in America with Trump. Donald the Dumb would have been resolved with the Senate finding him guilty. Seven Republicans voted to convict Trump along with the Democrats, but not the Republican leader, Mumbing Mitch. He will go to his grave remembered for his lack of guts. What if...will haunt him for the rest of his life.

What about Vice President Pence? What if he had testified before the January 6 Committee? It took him years to stand up like a leader.

What if Sen. Graham had the courage?

What if Rudy Giuliani had stood up against Trump? He is now pleading for money. "They seized my measly checking account so I can't buy food. Help me fight." He has to pay Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss $148 million because he was found guilty of defamation of those two poll workers.

Then there is President Biden. He saw himself as a transitional president between the old and the new leadership. However, he liked being the president and decided to stay for another four years. What if he had not run for reelection?

This is part of the debate with Trump.

What if Biden withdrew from the race after debating with Trump? It took him a couple of weeks to decide. Much of the critical legislation passed during his term will be gutted by Trump. Ukraine will suffer. People who opposed Trump will suffer. Immigrants will return to Trump’s treatment of separating children from their parents and worsen. The climate will worsen. And our democracy will be imperiled.

We need to think about my mantra. It is in giving that we get. In all of our lives, we must begin by giving. We must start with the we. Trump never has. However, all of us need to view life with that mindset. The move you give to others by helping them in various ways, the move you will receive.