I would walk 500 miles.

Monday, September 10, 2007

I would walk 500 miles...................................... Current mood: accomplished Category: Friends Have you ever said told someone you would do something without fully understanding what you agreed to do? I rarely do, I am cynic/skeptic. When someone ask me to do something I usually go over EVERY detail involved, whether they would do the same for me and any potential negative effects it may have. This drill has over the years prevented me from being spread to thin and most likely caused me to miss out on a few experiences. I agreed to participate in the "Susan G 3 day walk for the cure"(of breast cancer) a proportionality long name for the walk I might ad. So my first thought was, I don't walk anywhere. I will circle the parking lot many times for the closest parking spot. So I joined a GYM to start training. I know what you are thinking, who needs to train to walk. Well lets do some math. if it takes a person 20 minutes to walk a mile (some took 30) and there are 60 miles thats 1200 minutes of walking in 3 days. I don't know about you but that is a first for me. So I trained on an elliptical and a tread mill for months, I took long walks through the Nisqually Bird sanctuary and I walked the dog. And the event came. Here is where I didn't prepare, here is where in all of my planning I failed to account for many things. Here is where I begin to learn many things from this event. The opening ceremonies were gut wrenching. Women told there stories of pain, survival and loss. I am a self proclaimed hard ass, I cried, buckets. But in all of the crying there was an amazing sense of warmth & family. 3200 people began the walk across the I-90 corridor seemingly less than 100 of them men. It quickly became apparent that not all share my sense of humor. A group of women recoiled after I commented that a passing driver who was rapidly honking to show support was "Horny". Shortly after another looked @ me in disgust when I said I was sporting an "A" cup. It must suck going through life without the ability to see humor. Remind me to bring more friends next time. Along the way in every city and town we passed were people along the route cheering us on, handing out gifts, holding signs, spraying water. I began to realize how many lives cancer touched. There was many children with their Father thanking us in honor of their Mother who didn't make it. There was a group of men in the walk supporting their friend who lost his 32 year old wife. I was no longer doing this walk for A friend I was doing it for a cause..........shit. I didn't sign up to rally for a cause. I was now doing it for My Aunt who is fighting cancer, another Aunt I lost to cancer, a New Friend I found along the way who lost her Sister. At the end of day two in the last mile I was in excrushiating pain while walking up hill. I was passed by a 60 year old woman holding two canes with a ice pack taped to her knee wearing a shirt that said "Survivor". Funny how life will subtly slap you in the face. Your mind will lie to you. It will tell you you can't do something when you really can. After you push through the pain you can and after you do it it feels good. This is when I came to the conclusion that work was a distraction in life. That I and so many people were spending so much of our lives focused on something that shouldn't be our focus. That instead of giving someone a gift you can wrap we should give our time, our heart & our focus on them. Although a gift card is so quick and easy.................. I guess all that I am really trying to say is that once in while stop your life and go in a different direction. You may find that you were on the right path or you may just discover that you were missing something you never knew you had. Oh, and STRETCH!