It was race day …and there I was in the midst of 4 racers
travelling to run the 5K race.
There was excitement
because my granddaughters were looking forward to meet Jenny Barringer Simpson,
who just like them, grew up in Oviedo, and just like them started running in
grade school. They were celebrating life as we journeyed…anxious to arrive and meet
their new found role model…a runner who qualified in the track and field event
for the 2012 Olympics.
We found Jenny exuberantly engaged with her new found
running mates …talking, signing autographs, and posing for photos… very
gracious, warm, and personable.
It was Nov.11th weekend 2011 and I thought about
our freedom to be here celebrating this event. I lost an uncle during the
Second World War, and although I had never met him, he became part of the
reason why I have a deep respect for our military and our freedom.
At 25 years old Jenny
had qualified to head to the Olympics as a 1500 meter runner. Her road to
Olympian athlete was a road many might say started out rocky…with infantile
asthma to overcome and a disease that caused calcium deposits to form in her
lungs…she would go on to achieve her goal.
As the 5K race started, I thought about the unsung athletes
in our midst. My son-in-law who joined his family to run… when his work
commitments are ever demanding…My daughter running 3 years in pain before
surgery corrected her foot problem… Even my granddaughters who were battling
congestion in this race… all celebrating life when life is less than perfect.
And then there was the last of 756 runners to leave the
starting gate. .. A crippled man hobbling from left to right, talking to the
young woman who was by his side. As he passed by I asked him how could he run
and talk at the same time…he answered, “practice”…and left me with a smile.
My granddaughter placed 2nd … my son-in law 6th
and my daughter 12th …all in their age categories. At 9 years old my granddaughter took the 13th spot
in front of the other 416 females of all ages running this race. She was a force
to be reckoned with… The back of her shirt emblazoned with “crazy legs”, a name
the track coach had given her, and a name that she wore with pride as members
of the running family congratulated her…Her running smile… a trademark, as she
crosses the finish line.
The crippled man came in 3rd to last. A celebratory
win!
At 6 years old my
granddaughter has run a 5K race, but times and results are never tracked until
8 years old…so she was anxiously waiting to run the mile with Jenny. Jenny is
part of the “Track Shack” family and she was here promoting running as fun. The
race was off and Jenny, surrounded by youth paced with them… at their speed…
not hers.
My granddaughter would break away from the pack when the
finish line was in sight with a determination captured by those who witnessed her
approach to the finish line… The track coach gave her the name of “l’il rabbit”,
exhibited on the back of her shirt…a name fittingly given since she is the
youngest member of the Track Shack team… but by no means the slowest!
Because runners never eat much before a race, proximity to a
restaurant afterwards is a must. This day was no exception. A short drive
placed us on Main Street, blocked off for a farmers market. One of the local restaurants
had a wait so we walked the market as we waited for the pager call signaling
the table was ready.
My son-in –law recognized an ex neighbor who had a booth
displaying fishing lures. Their conversation was heard by many as the ex
neighbor recanted how in the space of this year, he had lost a son…his wife had
major surgery…his daughter ended up in a divorce…and his good friend also died.
He was promoting the business he was
taking over from his deceased son. The year had proved a bad one for him, but
there he was engaged in meaningful activity with a promise of a better
tomorrow. His jovial attitude left me as an observer… once more… with an
appreciation for all those who work toward celebrating life… even when
circumstances dictate otherwise.
Did I mention all this took place in a town called
“Celebration?”
See you next time...God willing! God bless!
See you next time...God willing! God bless!
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