You never know who is paying attention
DennisfromOhio
As we get near the Boston Marathon, and the one year anniversary of the end of my running career, I thought some might find interest in the following story. This is a creative writing piece that my son recently wrote for school. As a piece of creative writing it has taken some liberties; I grew up in Connecticut, not Massachusetts, I did run early in the morning, but not twice a day. However, most of the other details are accurate.
I was very hesitant to share this story because, frankly, it makes me look pretty good and I felt uncomfortable about that. The reason I want to share it is the fact that Tim never said the things he wrote in this paper to me. As you will see, what I had seen as a somewhat selfish pursuit of fitness and accomplishment had a profound and positive effect that I never knew.
You should all be aware that others look up to you and see your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and your struggle to reach your personal goals as inspiring – even if they never tell you. So I will keep up my new cycling “addiction” and may add swimming. The payoff for my health will be important, and hopefully the unseen and unknown payoffs to others will be just as great. Enjoy.
Dennis
www.earlymorningbiker.blogspot.com
Tim’s adversity essay
Two men stood facing each other, oblivious to the chaos enveloping them. Suddenly, they lunge at one another and begin to fight. Once the dust clears, the two opponents get up and walk away together, smiling and laughing. Since ancient times, people have been fighting each other in mock battles, or sparring, in order to become stronger. This is especially important in striking sports such as kickboxing or karate.
However, it is difficult to spar with adversity. Golda Meier was correct when she said, “You’ll never find a better sparring partner than adversity.” It takes a special type of person to be able to fight something as intangible as adversity. Only the deeply motivated are able to even put up a good fight against this invisible enemy, much less win. However, the few great individuals who can conquer adversity inevitably become better people because of their conquest. One person in my life who has had enough will and dedication to spar with adversity is my father.
Ever since hew was a small child, my dad observed the runners in the Boston Marathon. To the few Marathoners to receive a qualifying time, running through the rolling hills of Newton is a distance runner’s ultimate dream. Growing up in the suburbs around Boston, my dad would always watch as the leading runners passed by, a scene that lasted for a few moments, but was bonded into his memory for eternity. Young Dennis decided that he was going to cross the finish line on Boylston Street some day.
This was not a thing for a young boy his age to do, and for many years my father followed different interests. He was not blessed with the skinny, lanky body elite marathoners have. Instead, my dad affectionately calls himself “a little bowling ball.” Standing just shy of 5’10,” he was not made to run. But he never let his physic hold him back from pounding the pavement. He ran all through college, barely missing a day. The fact that he was able to overcome his physical handicap made him mentally stronger. It gave credence to the belief that anything is possible for those who believe.
Twenty years later and the sire of four teenagers, Dennis was still running. In fact, he was getting close to qualifying for Boston when adversity struck back. In a friendly game of pick up basketball with some church friends, my dad tore his ACL. This sidelined him from running for a whole year. After the surgery, his knee was stiff and stubborn. I still remember sitting in my room and hearing my dad groan in pain as he tried to extend his knee.
Nevertheless, he was able to return to running and lose the weight he had gained while being sidelined. Perhaps realizing that the door of opportunity was closing, he trained harder than ever. He would wake up before 5 am, run, go to work, and then run again in the night. The pure will and resolve he had gained through his struggle was a juggernaut, plowing through his workouts. Finally, he qualified at the age of 45.
But adversity wasn’t done yet. A few weeks into training, a doctor informed my dad of acute arthritis in both knees. The doctor advised him to stop running immediately, but Dennis wouldn’t quit. Against medical advice, he continued to train, and in March of last year, he completed his first—and last—Boston Marathon. The struggle he had been forced to endure undoubtedly made him a better person. Without his struggle and adversity, I know that we would not be the tight knit family that we are today.
Obviously, adversity is a challenging enemy, but not an unconquerable one. Those who have repeatedly fought it have gone on to do great things. The values that one learns through these baptisms of fire are priceless. My dad says that it was pure will that guided his legs down Boylston Street, and as he crossed the finish, he knew that he had tackled adversity square in the eye and fought it blow by blow. And when people have that sweet moment of pure concentrated joy, they know that there is nothing in the world that they can’t do. And they have adversity to thank.
Cris Dopher
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Tory Klementsen, MCP A+
Tory Klementsen, MCP A+
IT Educator
Certified Personal Fitness Trainer
www.journey-fitness.com
www.jfrunners.com
www.teechur.com--school website
Harvey Toni (Energy Development)
I hope I’m not abusing this group by asking that you help a grad student friend who is studying social networks by taking a very short online survey-
http://FreeOnlineSurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?
Thanks, Toni (Drusy)
DennisfromOhio
write something like that about you. It reminds me of the great
responsibility we have to try and set a good example.
I have not run since I crossed the finish line on Boyleston Street. In
fact, my family yells at me if I start to run for any reason. I have
taken to cycling and am thinking of starting to add swimming this
summer. Perhaps I can do a sprint tri if I can talk my family into
letting me.
Thanks again and good luck to your hubby. I too miss running very
much, but for me it is time to move in another direction.
Dennis
Tory Klementsen, MCP A+
Tory Klementsen, MCP A+
IT Educator
Certified Personal Fitness Trainer
www.journey-fitness.com
www.jfrunners.com
www.teechur.com--school website