I have an irritation.  I caught glimpses of myself yesterday in windows and mirrors, and was shocked at what I saw.  I saw images of a very stooped man.  I tried straightening my back, and I was still stooped.

“It’s my McCornack genes,” I thought.  But then I remembered that my aged father was stooped, too.  My stooped back may be genetic, but I’ve exacerbated the problem by my habits.  Every night of my life I have gone to bed and have read the scriptures before going to sleep.  I prop my head up on the head board of the bed, and I read for long periods of time.  It occurs to me this morning that that is now my standing posture.

I also bow my head to pray.  That happens multiple times per day.  I have also spent my life carrying heavy buckets and other things around the farm, as well as children on my shoulders.  I carried all 10 of my children on my shoulders until they were too big for me to easily get them up there.

I’m permanently stooped.  I don’t know when it happened.  There’s not much I can do about it now.  At least my posture came about from worthwhile activities.  Rather than gnash my teeth, I guess I’ll consider my stooped shoulders a mark of distinction.