Yesterday's list of potential curiosities was all mental. No doubt those who believe in a balance between mind and body would be disappointed. So as a countermeasure I bought an exercise book this evening in addition to a copy of Dracula and Frankenstein.
The missing physical element in my summer curiosities is mostly habit. I've never been a very athletic person despite growing up with a health and physical education teacher. Nor was my father ever really a good example of physical activity, at least not in my memory. All my memories of him are in a wheelchair or a hospital bed.
From a theoretical point of view (here I return to the ways of habit, always trying to think my way into and out of situations) the connection between physicality and religion has been at the forefront of my mind in recent months. The Da Vinci Code brought the conflict between the body and the mind to the forefront of an adventure tale. Fred Clark of Slactivist had two very interesting posts last month on the reasons why Christians hate sex. The ongoing discussion of Christianism by Andrew Sullivan also ties into the question of the body and the soul. How are they connected?
I knew this would all get back to philosophy in the end. If only I could lose 20 pounds by reading Plato.