We had a table
at CTKtoday which’ll continue for the rest of
the sponsored run. A couple nice people from Acton High took my picture before
I started out. But, in my haste (I was running late, not pun intended) I went
much too hard. Had some fun explaining the event to students and teachers at Christ the King before heading back. It felt like it was going to rain all day,
though it didn’t, and the wind really picked up on the way back. In my desire
to get home, I started mentally torturing myself about how far was left. Then,
I felt like I was going to pull ligaments in different parts of both legs at
the same time. When I got back I was sore… really sore. We’re digging in now
for the tough days to come. About a quarter way through. Way proud, still
scared but willing to go into that fear with courage.
What a beautiful
change! Michaela, an Inspiree, took the picture of me at Acton High before I
left. Nice weather, great day for a run. A GDHS couple took my photo outside of
CTK. Running back wasn’t too hard.
Wonderful.
But then I made
up yesterday’s kilometres. On a bike. I learnt how to ride a bike nine months ago so
I’m still a bit shaky. I actually think I could’ve run it easier than I could’ve
biked it, even after running the full thirty kilometres before hand. And that
says something.
I made CTK alright. A bit exhausted. But it’s all
down hill from Acton to Georgetown, and it’s all uphill for the return
journey. Coming back, holy cow… and going through Limehouse didn’t help. My
legs and hands were shaking so much from fatigue I nearly capsized. I was
riding at a walking pace back in Acton. It was brutal.
But, on the
plus side, that’s probably the most kilometres per amount of time I’ve ever
done: 60 km’s in 7 hours, including breaks. It worked out well, but I don’t
plan on doing it again during the event.
A bit chillier
than I thought it’d be. It took me a little while taking a picture of my foot
to signify “the first step”. I was a bit sore at first but I loosened up after
a bit. It was a nice day. I passed a fella walking on the side of seven. We got
talking. Interesting chap. Had the whole, “went out west and made a fortune
story”. We exchanged contact info. He’s the first fella to run with me in
Inspire Halton. He kept making fun of me for being afraid of bears because he
was from Northern
Ontario and
said they were harmless. Great guy. Then, I stopped by the Blue Fins’, a local
swim team’s, charity event at CTK. They took a picture of me and wished me luck. A
very nice lady also gave me a batch of cookies she made. Surprisingly, they
still looked good after running 15km with them in hand. My legs are a bit stiff
but things went well. Great start.
“Maestro Fresh” Wes Williams was the first
Canadian hip-hop artist to achieve a platinum album. In his book, Stick to Your Vision, named after his song of the same name, he says in the opening paragraph of “Chapter 23: Pass it
On”,
“Call it what you
want, being a role model, example, inspiration, but people look up to you when
you’ve reached a level they’re trying to conquer. That’s why it’s important to
stay on point and to continue to inspire people directly or indirectly with
your words and actions. You don’t have to wait till you reach your destination
− at any point, you can share what you know or have gone through. But when you
realize your vision, then it’s definitely time.”
When we work hard to get somewhere, we
often forget there are other people out there, other kids and people starting
up who’re aiming as high as we’ve aimed. We don’t have to be award winning
rappers − I remember my Dad giving advice to a cousin who was also becoming a
teacher. We all start out at the beginning − in a crib, not able to walk and
not understanding a word of any language. Completely helpless. But we all
learn, get through kindergarten, figure out the washroom, understand how to get
by.
People overcomplicate life. It’s not some
great quest (unless that’s what it takes for you to do anything) − it’s
just a process. One step takes you that much closer to your goal. And when
we’re a couple miles a head, staring back at some poor soul looking at us from
the other side of the river, it never hurts to throw our line back and help the
fella out a bit.
We all have valuable knowledge. Like
Maestro said, we can share at anytime. People are lost and in search of that
experience. And sometimes, they don’t even realize they’re just one book, one
class away from success.
Spread the worth, the value. It doesn’t
have to be monetary. Teaching people what you’ve learned, if they’re willing to
listen and require that information, is some of the most valuable data they’ll
get.
And, as a plus, you’ll feel like a champ
for helping someone out. That’s what service is about − giving the other guy a
hand for mutual benefit; you save their life and they save your soul.
There aren’t many better deals than that.
Alex H.
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