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museclioSo, I'm Team Wench's only walker in Avon this year. It's truly weird. This is the first year that I'll take those first steps alone. This is the first year that I won't catch up with my team at the lunch stop to chat before we walk. This is the first walk that I can't call Sas and see how he's doing. He's crewing, and will undoubtably be waking my ass up early on both mornings, but it's not the same.
He's not walking because his hip is shot. Should I be walking? Probably not. My knees are lousy, and I've been out of shape. Am I walking anyway. You're damn right. Why?
I can.
I can step out, I can talk to people and hear their stories. I can hear about the woman who beat back breast cancer twice and is on her fifteenth walk. I can talk to the guy who thought that walking would be like running a marathon, and he found out it wasn't, but he's doing it for his recently diagnosed wife. I can read mohawk man's shirt and be profoundly moved at the strength of his entire family. I can be amazed by the woman in terminal stage whose oncologist told her that if this is what she wanted it wasn't going to make it worse.
I still can. I'm alive, I'm healthy. I have to do something.
I have too many friends who can't think about breast cancer without thinking about best friends, sisters, mothers, and fathers. There are too many people whose lives will never be the same after being touched by breast cancer.
I can walk. I can fundraise. I can help throw a damn fine event.
So, I'm going to ask you my friends for two things. First, those of you who are local, please, *please* come out to one of the cheering stations for a few hours. It's a couple of hours on a weekend, I know you folks are booked solid, but I'm giving you 2 months to make the time. You have no idea how good it feels to have people smiling, cheering and hollaring when you're exhausted, your legs no longer want to work and you've got ten more miles to walk. The lift that a friendly face and quick chat can give is amazing. Even if you don't see me, cheer the rest of the walkers. Please, try and make the time.
Second, I'm going to ask for your money for the charity. I've got fundraising minumums in order to be able to walk. You many not be able to toss in more than ten bucks, but that's something. I'm not going to do the "well it's only a couple cups of yuppie coffee" or any of that ridiculousness, you all know what you can or can't afford. If you can afford to toss that ten bucks, the link is here.
He's not walking because his hip is shot. Should I be walking? Probably not. My knees are lousy, and I've been out of shape. Am I walking anyway. You're damn right. Why?
I can.
I can step out, I can talk to people and hear their stories. I can hear about the woman who beat back breast cancer twice and is on her fifteenth walk. I can talk to the guy who thought that walking would be like running a marathon, and he found out it wasn't, but he's doing it for his recently diagnosed wife. I can read mohawk man's shirt and be profoundly moved at the strength of his entire family. I can be amazed by the woman in terminal stage whose oncologist told her that if this is what she wanted it wasn't going to make it worse.
I still can. I'm alive, I'm healthy. I have to do something.
I have too many friends who can't think about breast cancer without thinking about best friends, sisters, mothers, and fathers. There are too many people whose lives will never be the same after being touched by breast cancer.
I can walk. I can fundraise. I can help throw a damn fine event.
So, I'm going to ask you my friends for two things. First, those of you who are local, please, *please* come out to one of the cheering stations for a few hours. It's a couple of hours on a weekend, I know you folks are booked solid, but I'm giving you 2 months to make the time. You have no idea how good it feels to have people smiling, cheering and hollaring when you're exhausted, your legs no longer want to work and you've got ten more miles to walk. The lift that a friendly face and quick chat can give is amazing. Even if you don't see me, cheer the rest of the walkers. Please, try and make the time.
Second, I'm going to ask for your money for the charity. I've got fundraising minumums in order to be able to walk. You many not be able to toss in more than ten bucks, but that's something. I'm not going to do the "well it's only a couple cups of yuppie coffee" or any of that ridiculousness, you all know what you can or can't afford. If you can afford to toss that ten bucks, the link is here.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-03 09:37 pm (UTC)I missed the ACS Strides walk in Oct because I was getting married (so I couldn't run my team this year).
Either way, I'll try to make it out to one of the cheering stations :)
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Date: 2008-03-03 09:45 pm (UTC)Hell, I'm not sure I can make the whole distance. I did 30 of it last year and 17 the year before.
And thank you for trying to make it out to the cheering stations. It's hard to explain how much those silly things help.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-03 10:01 pm (UTC)That's how I'd describe them. And the people who keep showing up, and showing up, and showing up? You start to look for them, and then you don't want to get on the sag wagon because YOU MIGHT MISS SEEING THEM.
I'll do my damndest to be out there cheering for ya, gal. You ARE part of a team--it's just that you're the most visible member this walk.