 This is not just a challenge, it's my own social movement. You can make it yours as well. There are no obligations. Just visit my page using the green link below: Marathon San Diego: From Hospital Bed to Finish Line. "In the 21st century, I think the heroes will be the people who improve the quality of life, fight poverty and introduce sustainability." -- Bertrand Piccard, adventurer and pilot of the Solar Impulse. "... my goal is to again become an engaged citizen of the planet, hopefully affecting change and inspiring others. My intention is to again run marathon distances across endangered landscapes, share with others what I have learned, and prove that we can be more than a set of daunting circumstances. I understand that I am fighting this against the odds. I cannot possibly do it alone." -- Me.  This cancer stuff has probably made me a better person, except for the days when I want to punch the clouds out of the sky. I once met a humble guy pushing a cart across the desert. He said he was out there so that he could “let it fly”. This was critical for him, as he had Tourette’s. The desert didn’t mind. I get that.
This weekend I had the honor of presenting my story to a fabulous group at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Phoenix. How funny that they called me the Honored Hero when it was entirely the other way around. Where else can one give a presentation about despair? But for a few days I haven’t needed to crack stones with my forehead. Deborah says that she doesn’t know why we aren’t insane from our devastated lives, where some days aren’t just tough, they are nonsensical. I believe the answer is not faith but purpose. It seems to me that purpose is what faith would be if it got up off the couch. Purpose makes faith-speak look like a platitude. Purpose is the thing that puts you right where you need to be, right now. So thank you to everyone at the Team-In-Training Kickoff with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society this Saturday. It was a room full of inspiration and purpose. www.lls.org  My reward: bitter cold and howling wind, and an incredible view. After a few weeks in North Carolina among wonderful family and friends, I am back in the Sonoran Desert for my scheduled round of medical appointments at the Mayo Clinic. Running and cycling the hilly streets of an Appalachian town every day had me feeling pretty good. So I figured the best thing after a long day of airline travel would be to simply climb the Superstition Mountains before breakfast. Right. So on stiff legs I did the short run to the base and then ... there was no more running. The next two hours were climbing over boulders to the top... and then back down. Back at the trailhead, my legs were bleeding sticks of rubber. Meanwhile, an intimate encounter with an overhanging boulder gave a new job for my hat: Keeping the gash in my head from bleeding down my forehead. Every bit of cockiness was erased.
Sometimes you are a superhero; sometimes you just get wacked. Yes I know --- my body has gone through hell and I still have a long way to go. Learning to accept the ramifications of that is hard. For a short time I had almost forgotten my story, and as bad as it is I don't want to lose any of its wisdom. It took a head knock and a tumble down a steep trail to remind me. The trick is acceptance without complacency. So that means I just back off a bit for a few days and then get on with it... and do it again. |