Starting with Acknowledgment
I come into this challenge as someone who’s fit and able-bodied. That’s not everyone’s starting point. The Just Do Ten challenge is about choice, adaptation, and inclusion. My “ten” might be burpees today; yours might be ten steps across the room, ten stretches before bed, or ten deep breaths. Check in with your physician, honor your body, and make this journey your own.
No Excuses, No Days Off
It’s August 31st, a Sunday. Thanks to my brother Floyd Rags, I’m repping the No Excuses Club. This is workout number fourteen—my second session of the day. Two-a-days, baby. Number thirteen is already in the books and fourteen is on deck. At fifty-one, I know movement is critical. Sitting still is not an option.
Sunday Spirit: Hearts with Stretch Marks
On Sundays I’m usually connected to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach (UUFLB)—sometimes in person, sometimes on Zoom tech. Today we were blessed by Yvette McDonnell, a chaplain from Philadelphia on her journey toward ordination. Her message: “We want our hearts to have stretch marks—stretch marks from lovin’.” That belongs inside this challenge. Training the body and expanding the heart go together.
Yvette first joined our UUFLB community as a guest speaker for the Kwanzaa service on December 26, 2021, and she’s remained a treasured voice ever since.
Challenge Shout-Outs: Passing the Torch
1) Yvette McDonnell — Yvette, thank you for the wisdom and joy. I’m challenging you to bring that chaplain’s spirit into motion. Maybe it’s a morning walk or an evening stretch. Your “ten” is yours.
2) Rohan Marley — Big Ro, son of the legendary Bob Marley. I first met Rohan in South Miami at his uncle Richard Booker’s home. Richard’s brand, Smilin Island Foods, carries hot sauces curated from his mother’s Jamaican recipes—one of my personal favorites is Mama’s Own Original Hot Sauce. I was there wearing my commercial photographer hat for Shots by Dubbs, shooting the sauce line in 2019. We sat down and Ro shared parts of his journey at the University of Miami. That conversation stuck with me. I’ll be releasing the full sit-down soon as part of Dubbs Wanders’ “On Wax with Dubbs” series. Ro, you’re on the clock—give me ten of anything.
Before his grandmother passed, I was blessed—through a colleague I met via Floyd Raglin—to be introduced to Cedella “Mother B” Booker Marley. Me and my ex-wife once sat in her bedroom by the window as she shared her life story and memories of her son, Bob—not as an icon, but as her child. That moment stays with me and deepens my gratitude whenever I cross paths with the Marley family.
Two-A-Days: Set One, Set Two, Set Three
I drop into my sets. The pad under me keeps sliding—distracting and not ideal—but that’s the challenge: move safely, adapt, and keep going. By set three I’m thinking about football “Matt Drills”—with respect to those who grind the real thing. It’s football season. Two-a-days.
And for a little humor, I’ll just say: “We didn’t even need face masks to beat Alabama.” It’s all love, Tide fans. 😉
Recipe Video: Spicy Caribbean Hot Wings
I also shot a quick cooking video back in 2019 featuring Smilin Island Foods products—yes, including Mama’s Own Original Hot Sauce—to make Spicy Caribbean Hot Wings.
Closing Reminder
The Just Do Ten challenge isn’t about burpees. It’s about moving your body in a way that fits you, at your level, at your pace. My ten might be burpees. Yours might be ten steps to the mailbox, ten shoulder rolls, or ten deep breaths. The victory is not perfection—the victory is showing up.
Happy Labor Day. Namaste.
