Thursday, July 03, 2008

"And Kept Going....."




There are moments of inspiration... that can resonate powerfully and touch us so deeply... we will never forget them.....
M. Bane, while watching the Marine Corp Marathon, writes:
"I had stationed myself at a beautiful tree-shaded spot about 20 miles into the 26.2 mile run, next to a series of steps. I was watching the runners go by when one of the last wheelchair athletes reached my spot. He was older than most of the wheelchair racers - my age, Vietnam age - and he was absolutely exhausted. Since the wheelchairs couldn't make the steps, there was a ten-foot ramp next to the stairs. The racer started up the ramp, and his arms failed. Five more times he tried the ramp, muscles bulging, his face bright red from the exertion, and five times he failed. The crowd, myself included, had gotten quiet. Other runners and the young Marines lining the course shouted encouragement, but the man in the wheelchair was in his own world. On the seventh try, his face was blank, his eyes focused on a universe that was ten feet long. He didn't see the Marine behind him, openly crying. He didn't hear the other runners' shouts or feel those of us in the crowd. He just went up the ramp, an agonizing inch at a time. And when he finally reached the top, he just smiled, waved, and kept going."
Such moments of inspiration, when strung together, become like the polished stones of our own precious jewelry, that we carry forward with us into a lifetime of such potent shared experiences...
Where will you discover your source of inspiration and determination today Dear Finders...
My sincere appreciation to Bane and this inspiring athlete for this moment.....
DSD


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