Inspiration
I was inspired by someone that I met at the Living History Farms race in
We were sitting at a picnic table after the race enjoying our post race refreshments… and listening to some people tell jokes for prizes while everyone was waiting for the race results and the awards to be given out to the top finishers. The refreshments were good, however, most of the jokes were not!
We had been sitting there for a while when a guy asks if he can sit next to me. So, I slid over a little bit for him to sit down and we continued with what we were doing. He, like us, had some refreshments and was relaxing after the race he had just completed.
We had some small talk about the race, the weather, and such… and he said something about being 10 minutes faster than when he ran it two years ago. (He couldn’t run it last year because he had to work). I thought… “ten minutes is a good improvement… but, nothing too amazing.” He looked like he was in pretty good shape.
He finished his refreshments, laughed at some of the jokes, and then left with a “Talk to you guys later.” Overall, a very friendly guy… like most people that do these types of things. I’m sure he left because I am boring to talk to. (My wife will attest to this!)
It wasn’t until we saw him walking away that we realized he was physically handicapped. Not to the point where he needed any crutches or anything like that… but, definitely handicapped in his legs. It’s at this moment when I thought “Wow, that’s pretty amazing!”
This race was challenging enough for anyone… requiring you to run over rough terrain, thru creeks, over fallen trees, and more. So, needless to say… I was impressed. Impressed that this guy accepted that challenge, in spite of his handicap… and finished. And then, came back at his next chance to do it again… better than the last time.
I regret not talking to this guy more than I did. Because, if there is one thing I would want to say to him… It would be “I am proud of you!”
Adam
