Let's see. 

Stretch your mind, stretch your budget. Check. Stretch your imagination, stretch the truth. Check. Stretch your hams, run faster. Uncheck.

Now, weren't you surprised? 

I was. 

I stopped running years ago. Bending over to tie my sneakers, I thought, was sufficient enough to constitute stretching.  Who knew that it actually was as much as I needed to do. Go me.

Or not.

The article How Necessary Is Stretching seemed to provoke, more than clarify, what one should do. Will I be injured if I don't?  Will I be a more efficient athlete if I do? Will I meet and marry the man of my dreams?

More questions than answers, it appeared based on reading the comments that trailed the article.

It seems to me that the whole ritual one does before and after exercising, not knowing whether it is good for you or not, does provoke a "boy, am I a good person" feeling. Earnestness of purpose, seriousness about the intention, prolonging having to begin, are all valid reasons.

It appears that I can handily demonstrate my "flexibility" by being easily swayed to change a plan. Other than that, not so much.