I am Ready To Talk About Gun Control

Friday morning the unthinkable happened in Newtown ,CT. An obviously sick individual went into an elementary school and killed 18 children and 8 adults were needlessly killed. The whole country mourns the lives of these individuals as their lives were cut short.

Although many of you were ready to use this event as an example to further your argument to have tighter gun control laws or not. I was not ready to get int the discussion , until now.as with all debates that we have, we need to respect every one's right to free speech . This is not going on. There is no way that we can come to an agreement if we are not willing to listen to the other sides arguments. We may not have to agree with the points that are made, but we should respect the right for people to make those points.

I fully support the right for people to own weapons. The majority of weapon owners follow the laws set in place and would only use their weapons if needed and only as a last resort . Taking their weapons away will not cure the problems that we have, it will only make us defenseless against the problems.

I know it is a overused argument, but when has a gun killed anyone on it's own. When has it drove it self to a public place and opened fire on people ? There has always been a person or people behind a gun pulling the trigger.That is what we should focus our attention on . How do we stop these people from committing these horrible acts?

Banning weapons is not the answer, where there is a will there is a way. For example we need to look no farther than or war on drugs. Have we won that war yet? Again, I repeat when there is a will there is a way.

I think as a society we need to start tuning out the media's coverage of these events as a start. Although nobody wants these events to happen , the media seizes the opportunity to increase their ratings and give you every ounce of details regarding the event. They go into great detail of the person committing these crimes lives. They make these people and what whatever reason they had for doing these things bigger than life. This , in my opinion, only fuels the next crazy person to do something horrifying.

I agree with President Obama, this does have to stop and maybe one of these high profile people should turn the attention on the media's attention to all of this , we may begin to start the process to stopping this.

Empty Chair

I thought I was doing fine until my Mom sent me a Christmas card.

"Around the Christmas table there is an empty chair this year

And yet our hearts are hopeful,

though the season' bittersweet,

Because we know the one we love

has filled another seat

For another banquet table

abounds with joy and love 

For those who've made the journey

to be with our Lord above

This season,may you celebrate

the faith that is the heart of Christmas

the hope that lies ahead in heaven,

and the love of those we hold in our arms

and in our memories"

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year and the memories and traditions of the past are ones that I will cherish. It saddens and excites me that we will be starting new traditions this year because of the lost of my father. 

But what I really want for Christmas I can't put on my Amazon wish list, I can't circle in a catalog.... I just want to hug my Dad one more time. 

Driving Drunk

On Tuesday November 27, 2012 there was a horrific accident right up the road from me where a 9 month old baby lost her life allegedly due to someone who got behind the wheel after having a few drinks. You can read about the story here in this Buffalo News article. If convicted of the DWI charge this would be this woman's second .

I have been reading posts on Facebook trashing this woman for what she has done and yesterday on the Tom Bauerle show (a local talk show host on the radio) this was the main topic of discussion. Many people were calling in disgusted about the accident. They have the right to be, it was a horrible accident that could have been prevented if she didn't get behind the wheel after having a few too many alcoholic drinks.

Although I am saddened by this , and I too agree that this woman should be punished to the full extent of the law if found guilty, there have been way too many times that I got behind the wheel of a car when I should not have. This could have easily been me, I was lucky ....extremely lucky and so were the people who shared the road with me while I was driving drunk.

I still do drink (much less than I use too) , and at times I have more than I can tolerate,but it has been a very long time since I have driven home drunk as a skunk, or even after drinking at all. I usually will plan ahead with a ride home with someone who hasn't drank, drink at home or walk home. Many times I think about the lives that I have put in danger and the lives that would change forever if I would have gotten into an accident and hurt or killed someone.

It would be hypocritical of me to chastise this woman about this unfortunate accident without seriously taking a hard look at myself and realize that that could have easily been me or could easily BE me if I make the wrong decision again.  

Today Is For Honoring Our Veterans....Not Politics

My father Omie Wilson who served 20 years
 in the United States Air force

I enjoy watching the talking heads on Sunday mornings. These are the people who come on the political shows that are on the networks every Sunday morning like Meet the Press. This week I have decided not to listen  because today , being Veteran's Day it is a day that we should put out political differences aside and come together as one country and honor our Veterans.

However if I were to turn on Fox,I am sure I would here all sorts of news about Benghazi and the Fiscal Cliff and if I were to turn on NBC I would here about why Romney lost and how the Republican's are not willing to work with our President. In my mind this is not what today is about. We just had that our opportunity to express our opinions by voting last Tuesday.  Voting is a freedom that we enjoy because of people who have offered to and have laid down their lives to protect that freedom .

So today I will focus on honoring those who fought to give us and those who fought to protect our freedoms, including freedom of speech. They did so regardless what religion they were or what their political affiliation is. They did it because they believe that The United States of America is the greatest country in the world and they believe that protecting it is worth giving their life for.

God bless all who served and continue to serve the greatest country on Earth  .

 

The Morning After, I still have hope....

 I fell asleep last night disappointed and woke up the same way. I am not angry, but still concerned about things. America spoke last night and the they made their decision. No changes in the Presidency, the House or the Senate.

Woke up in a very somber mood this morning, I am not angry, I expected this, I am just disappointed in our country's decision last night.  I can only hope and pray that we have learned our lesson and that a divided country is a country that will not succeed. Both parties need to do a better job about trying to find a solution, and not coming up with decisions that will help their re-election .

I am not going to give into the doom and gloom , I believe in America and I believe that we can recover. I have to believe that both parties will work together , or when it is time to vote them out we will. I have my views on how things should be, but I know that people don't share them and that I have to listen and respect opposing views, that is how we became the country we are , and that is how we will fix the issues we have. I will pray that this happens, and I believe that it will.

To my friends who voted for Obama , you have the right to celebrate, but please remember that while you won , the Romney supporters ideas and believes were defeated last night. This is a hard thing to take , so please be respectful in your celebration. For the Romney voters, I share your disappointment, but we can not   let our disappointment turn us into looking like sore losers. We need to be respectful when voicing our displeasure with the decision. 

Enough is enough America, time to work together, although we are Democrats,Republicans, Conservative,Liberals or whatever we believe in..... we are Americans and isn't that what matters most? 

My Election Day Thoughts

Chuck Todd

Keep it here to find out my election day thoughts. Why should you care ? Because I am NOT Chuck Todd...that is why:

Highlighted text is new

11:38 am - Went and voted straight republican , came home , went for a run all before 10 am. This will surprise my wife... since on my day off I am not out of my pajamas until noon . I posted some pro Romney/Ryan pictures on my Liberal Friends pages on Facebook,they returned the favor...it is on!

11:43 am - I did not see any Black Panthers at my polling place, but the were having a bake sale. Now I will nap, I will be up late tonight.

12:05 pm I will nap after this, click here for my predictions: Obama 275 Romney 263

1:51 pm- Awoke from nap, looked at Fox News, yep ... many stories about voter fraud , checked MSNBC ... there is stupid Chuck Todd again.... and a story about how women are up for grabs in this election , I guess the Obama people will try anything.

2:36PM - My wife just told me that Obama won the vote they had at our kid's school... I informed her that they will no longer will be able to attend there.

3:50 pm- Family Guy Break:

 ,


6:43pm Checking with MSNBC It looks like Romney takes a VERY EARLY Lead in popular vote, Fox is reporting the same. One of the states reporting in is Indiana, some consider this a swing state....Haven't turned on TV yet...

7:00pm Chuck Todd for your viewing pleasure....He is a mess, they need to clean him up



8:01pm - Both MSNBC and Fox saying 49 to 3  for Romney ... very early. Ohio and North Carolina are close, Obama leading in both. If Romney loses both going to be a long night I think... Obama winning Florida too....

8:19pm- Just turned on FOX and they are pretty Doom and Gloom about Romney's chances....

8:46pm The 9pm hour will tell a lot , many states closing . Right Now here is the breakdown:

• NBC 88-64 Romney Lead
• Fox 88-78 Romney
• ABC 78-76 Obama
• CBS 88-78 Romney

Just opened a Sam Adams...this could get interesting

9:14Pm Not sure why they are not calling Ohio, looks like Obama will win that. Tonight not looking good for Romney. House looks like no change, Senate most likely no change. A lot of money spent on both sides ...for no change. 

10:02PM I guess the local Fox station has had enough... they have switched over to Sienfeld... Here are the 5 Network's Break down (I added CNN for my Cousin)

• NBC 162-162
• Fox 162-157 Romney
• ABC 162-157 Romney
• CBS 162-157 Romney
• CNN 152-143 Romney

Ohio Tightening , Florida Tight... could be a long night

Keeping an eye on everything...getting tired

11:04PM Pretty much a tight rope walk for Romney now. Florida, Ohio and Virgina NEED to fall Romney's way....if any of the 3 fall Obama we will have 4 more years of Obama .

11:18PM Barack Obama is the winner, God help us all.....He won because he knows how to campaign, and is good at that, he didn't win because he is good at his job...he is not so good at that. Good night to everyone and thanks for following me today.

Scanning My Head On This Cold Monday Morning

Ugh...... I have to go into work late and stay until late (it is a cleaning night), so there are a few things floating around my head that I feel the need to get out there. So here we go!

• In hindsight the cancellation of the Marathon in New York was the right decision . I was against cancelling it at first, my reason was because the financial impact that the marathon has  something that I believed that would help New York get back on it's feet. I believed Mayor Bloomberg had a plan that they could run the race and not divert much needed help to those who needed it. I have to admit that, by my own fault, I was misinformed about the severity of the damage in New York. Once I was informed it became obvious that running the race was not the right decision .

• Speaking of the marathon,, I think runners got a bad rap from alot of people. I do not understand why the runners were being bashed about their decision to run the race. When you participate in a marathon , there is many sacrifices that you make. There is the 4 to 5 months of training ,where you put in countless hours and miles to get ready for the race. There is the money that you invest in the event (registration fees, hotel, travel , food, etc.) , much of it is not refundable. Every runner that I knew that was running the race was disappointed, but understood why the race was cancelled. Then you heard about runners who still ran the distance either in their hometowns or in NY, just to raise money to help with the relief efforts, there were many who went to NY and didn't run , but helped people to get back on their feet . They put their time to good use. If you want to be mad at anyone be mad at the NYRR or Bloomberg for wanting carry on with event.

• Tomorrow we go to the polls and cast our votes for President and many other offices, I believe that Barack Obama will win (hope I am wrong). I also believe he will have a mess on his hands that he will have to clean up. I have been following politics since I was pretty young and this is the most polarized that I have ever seen the country . Mr. Obama and all other elected officials need to work together and find common ground to get this country moving again . We also need to listen to the other sides opinion as well, as a country we need to lose the blinders we have placed on when it comes to others opinions and realize that what made our country great is the fact it was built on people from different cultures, backgrounds and opinions, let's get back there.

That is it for today, now for a quick nap

Redemption (2013 Marathon Decision)

I have made up my mind , I have decided to run two marathons in 2013 with the hope to run 2 major marathons in 2014. Here is the plan;

In 2011 I had a similar plan that was derailed by the Buffalo Marathon , if you remember I dropped out after the halfway mark with stomach cramps. I have run two marathons since then and have been pleased with both performances. In 2013 I am going back to Buffalo with a goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I have to run under 3 hours and 15 minutes. If I make my goal I think the demons of the 2011 Buffalo marathon will finally be exercised.

After Buffalo I have a decision to make, if I don't qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon , then I will be participating in the Erie Marathon in September . I have ran this twice , it is fast and flat and I am familiar with the route. I have ran my fastest Marathon there in 2011. My goal is to break 3 hours and not only qualify for 2014 Boston, but 2014 New York as well.

If I qualify for Boston after Buffalo , then I am going back to where I ran my first Marathon in Corning,N.Y. The Wineglass Marathon was one of the best days of my life , running with My sister and brother. I want to extend those positive vibes by running a sub 3 hour marathon and qualifying for the 2014 New York City Marathon.

If all goes right in 2013, I should have a memorable 2014!

Why Isn't Chess Taught At School?

For those of you who may know me , you know I am a chess nut. I am not really good at it though. My rating on Chess.com is currently is a 1206 which is the highest it has been in quite some time. I usually hover around the mid 1100's . So if  you are looking for an easy game go to Chess.com and look me up . I have learned a lot about myself from the game of Chess.

For one thing when I have too many games going on I tend to rush my moves so I can get to the next game faster and rush my moves there . I tend to make many mistakes and get myself into trouble . This makes for many of my games to end in lopsided losses . When I slow down and take my time ,think about my moves, plan ahead (yes even take notes) I tend to be more competitive.

There is many things that can be learned from Chess. This is why I feel that it should be taught in school. I think our kids should learn some of the lessons that can be learned from Chess such as problem solving, concentration, planning, logical thinking and learning how to learn from your mistakes.

• Kids( I guess adults too) can learn problem solving from chess because every move that they make or their opponent makes the game change. After the move the board changes and a new puzzle is created. It is very difficult at the beginning of the game because there are so many options that you and your opponent can make. The goal is to limit your opponents options to move the way they want and to increase the options for you . We all face problems in real life , the more that we train our brain in problem solving games or exercises like Chess the better we are to overcome those problems

• I am sorry , the concentration that it takes to play a video game fails in comparison to the concentration . As I mentioned in the opening of this piece if I have too many games going on and I rush my moves . When I am concentrating on my moves, I do better and am more competitive. I wish I would applied this to my schoolwork back in the day, I might have done better in school,who knows where I would be if that happened, oh well....

• If are just playing the game making up as you go along , then you will lose. Any chess player worth anything will plan their moves well ahead of time and adjust their plan according to what your opponent does. This is how life is, if you plan and are willing to adjust your plan chances are you will succeed . 

• Thinking logical and weighing the options in your life helps you make better decisions, in turn should help you succeed and increase your well being. as well. Before you move in chess you should weigh all your options and try to determine what your opponent will do in response to your intended move, before you make your move.

• Final Point is learning from mistakes. We make mistakes in life and if we do not want to repeat those mistakes then we need to learn from them . Too many time people get into a viscous cycle of disappointments or failures. They don't look at the reasons why they fail, if they change some of the reasons why they fail, maybe the cycle can be stopped. If you make the wrong move in chess and leave your Queen exposed early in the game it will be very hard to overcome.

So why isn't chess taught in school? My guess is that is it isn't cost effective or that people see the advantages of teaching it. I think the lessons learned would be beneficial to our kids. 

Drained.....

Want a true scan of my head lately? Here you go.

Last night I didn't want to go to bed, because I feared waking up and having to deal with today. I can not really tell you why I felt that way, but I have been feeling that way frequently .Lately it seems like I just can not handle it anymore.

I don't want to bore you with the specifics, and I know that most people have it harder than me. I am truly blessed with a wonderful wife and two  kids . These three people are the reason I don't curl up into the fetal position and suck my thumb while waving the white flag , they are my reasons to keep moving forward.

Usually when I write an entry in my blog there is something I want to accomplish, today I am rambling. Sorry.

DJ Vs Balloon I

It's Not The Knockdown That Defines Us

On September 30th I will be participating in a 5k race called "Olivia's 5k Wish Run and Walk", it is the second year of the event . This event will celebrate the life of Olivia Coia who was loved by so many and lost her battle with Breast Cancer in 2010.  I did not know Olivia, but I wish I did, from what I I have learned about her she was an amazing woman who touched the lives of many people and even though she is no longer with us, she is continuing to touch and inspiring people like me in which whom she has never met.

The Start of Last Years Olivia's 5k Wish Run and Walk

The purpose of this entry is not to raise money for the event, I made a promise that I will only try to hit people up for their donations once a year and I did that already with this years Laurel Run. However if you do want to donate or participate please visit their website for information. The purpose is to talk about David , Olivia's father.

I received a friend request on Facebook about a year ago from Mr. Coia and I honestly had to ask my wife who he was. My wife , who knew him told me the story about Olivia and about the 5k race that is in her honor . I decided  to accept the friend him, and I am glad I did. Dave is a true example of someone who got knocked down and no one would have blamed him if he did not get back up, but he did , and his reasons for moving forward will inspire you . Here is a part of an article that appeared in "The Observer " a local newspaper from Dunkirk,N.Y. on September 16,2012.

"Before she died, Olivia made her father promise to carry out her last wish.

"If I don't make it," she said, "then I have a wish. If you could, have a run in my name. The money can be raised somehow to help with research for triple negative breast cancer and to make sure my kids (her students) are somehow taken care of with a scholarship."

David is fulfilling his daughter's wish. On Sunday, Sept. 30, the second annual Olivia's 5K Wish Run will take place at 11 a.m. at Evangola State Park. Proceeds will benefit the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass., (through Dr. Eric P. Winer) and the Olivia Coia Memorial Scholarship Fund."

You can read the entire article by clicking here

Dave has also started running himself, and his times in the 5k's that he has participated in have only gotten faster. He says that his daughter is with him and I am sure she is. Olivia was a marathon runner . I receive a ton of motivation from Mr. Coia. There has been several times after a bad run or race that I am feeling not so good about myself and my performance . Then almost like clock work there is a post from David on Facebook that makes me feel better and makes me get back out there and give it my all.

He is a true example of someone who did not let the knock down define him , what is defining him is the way he is getting back up. 

A Line from  the Movie "Rocky Balboa"

My Thoughts on Art Modell's Passing

I heard the news this morning of former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell passing and I have to admit this bothered me a little bit and I am not sure the reasons why, for this is the man that ripped my heart out when he moved the football team out of Cleveland formerly known as the Browns and relocated them to Baltimore and named them the Ravens. If you knew me at the time, you knew how upset that that made me, being a die hard Browns fan. However, the reaction to Modell's death hit me a lot harder than I would have thought.

I never wished him bodily harm like many other Browns fans, I only wished that his team would have failure and that I could laugh at him and the Ravens fans for the rest of my life as my Browns( after they returned in 1999) would rack up many championships and Modell's Ravens would be the laughing stock of the NFL

Just in case you have not paid attention, my wish has not come true...

Today, it struck me that he was a man , who made some people really angry , but he was also a man that was a father, a son, a friend and so on. People cared about this man whom I have listed on several polls as the most hated man in Cleveland sports. (Yes even above LeBron James). He has even brought me happiness for a good part of my life as well and I am thankful for that.

So what I am trying to say that even though I can not forget what he did , I do wish that Art Modell rests in Peace .

Scanning My Head On This Rainy Tuesday Morning

As I look out my window and see the rain clouds from what used to be Hurricane Issac coming in , I am also listening to Mumford & Sons , so many thoughts are entering my head and  I want to bring them to you in no particular order:

You can't gripe unless you vote

• I have made a conscience effort to try not to post anything political in the past few weeks on my Blog, Facebook page or Twitter . I guess I have come to the realization that no matter what I post , it will not change the mind of Obama supporters, just as anything posted by Obama supporters will not change my mind. There is such a stark difference between the two candidates and the direction that they want to take the country , we all have a choice to make on the first Tuesday in November . When that choice is made then we have to live with it and hope that we are either wrong or right.

Admit it ..we have all done this

• Why did God give us Nose hairs or for that matter Ear Hair ? Is this punishment from the original sin ? What is the purpose of  having hair in these areas? I looked up nose hair and here is a link to the answer, I guess it is somewhat beneficial. Then why is there ear hair?I guess there is an answer for that too

My Uncle Denzil's grave-site

• My wife has been doing researching our family tree and I have to admit that I am fascinated in everything that she is finding . Especially about my Father's side of my family. My Dad passed away this past February , and it is hitting me that I don't really know too much about his side of the family . I wish that I would have asked him more about his family when he was alive, but finding out more about him in some way is bringing me closer to him now.My sister also just recently visited where my dad and I know it was an emotional trip for her. She took this picture of my Uncle Denzil's  grave site, which is located right next to my grandfather's (my Dad's Dad). I have to say that even though I was always proud to be my father's son, that pride grows with every piece of new information that we learn.

• OK fellow Cleveland Browns fans, it looks like we are going to have yet another rough year. On our 53 man roster we have more than half of our players are either in their 1st or 2nd year. I know that the plan is to build a team that will have continued success over the years , so we have to take our lumps now. I admire that the current leadership is sticking to the plan of building through the draft and hopefully this will result in long term success down the road, but as a Browns fan, I would like to see some progress this year. A four to five win season is not what I call progress.Please watch the video I inserted , it sums it up how we feel.

I guess that is it for today, if there is ever anything you would want my opinion on let me know by emailing me  or by writing in a comment below. Have a great day!

Finding The Strength To Achieve The Impossible

I can't believe that is has been almost three months since I have posted anything on here, I guess I have been settling on the instant gratification that Facebook and Twitter have to offer. I just re-read my last post and thought that I might respond to it and ease many of your minds, I have not given up. I am still going after my dreams of running the Boston and NY Marathons. In fact if you have been paying attention to my race schedule my last two races I have achieved PR's in both (check out my race results here), so needless to say that I have gotten back on the horse and it is full steam ahead towards my goals.

Reading my last post got me to thinking that sometimes you do get stuck in a rut and sometimes it seems like you just want to give up on or readjust  your dreams . This is when you have to be at your strongest and fight to overcome that feeling . Sometimes you need help, and I have a wonderful support group that consists of family,friends and people who got me back on my feet and pointed back in the right direction. It is true that sometimes you have to give up on some dreams or re-adjust them, because life does get in the way . However this should be an option only if it has to be. Too many times people find excuses for not chasing a dream instead of admitting the truth to themselves and others that the reason that they are giving up is that it is either too hard for them to achieve a goal or they are too lazy too achieve a goal. If you want to give up on something, that is fine, but at least be honest with the reasons that you are giving up, at least to yourself.

I find motivation, everywhere. It comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. It comes from things that I find disgusting, like cigarette smoking. I hate the smell of cigarettes, it makes me cringe because of the thought that I have every time I smell it and that is the black tar-like substance that people are putting in their lungs.However, when I am running and I smell this smell, it motivates me because I have made the choice to do something that is healthy for my body and lungs.

I find motivation in people losing weight as well, I see them along the way during my runs or even while I am driving my car. If they are out there walking, running or doing something to lose weight and become healthier it makes me appreciate the strength that all of us have within us to try to be better. A person who I care for and love very much has been successful at this and I am very proud of my mother in law Diane for all that she has accomplished and for her dedication to continue to do the right thing for herself.

My fellow runners with whom I communicate with inspire me as well. It is an inspiration when one of them achieves a milestone, or a dream. It only makes me want to work harder so I can feel what they are feeling. I am so very proud of them and happy for them when they meet their goals, but there is a twinge of jealousy that I feel when they make it. I have to admit it , I am an attention hog, I want praise too.

Finally , sometimes motivation comes out of the blue . This week it came in the form of my track coach from my Senior year of  High School. I happen to be dropping off my daughter at a summer day camp and there he was, in a walking boot. We exchanged pleasantries and caught up on old times, but one thing he said to me when we were talking about his walking boot was " Well I guess I won't be doing any interval training any time soon!" I didn't think about this until a couple days later, and figured that it was time to get back to my roots, a place I haven't been in over twenty years . The track.

As I was doing my interval workout today I kept flashing back to high school and how I took life for granted back then, I won several races without ever really working that hard at it. Now my success in racing has come with hard work and will continue to come with hard work , and when I achieve my goals...it will be so much sweeter.

Letting Go Of Your Dreams

Seems like I am stuck in a rut lately. I don't know if it is the "Post Marathon Blues" or just a normal cycle that everyone goes through. I think mostly that I have come to the realization that some life goals that I have set for myself may be too far out of reach that I may have to give up or set aside those goals . I think that life forces you to come to a cross road where you have to choose your path and I may be at one right now.

I have been at this cross road before in my life where I made the choice to give up on my dream of being on stage and making a living in the theatre . I loved performing , trying to create (sometimes successfully) a character and bringing that character to life on stage was an amazing feeling. I really enjoyed children's theatre, making a child laugh and having them enter the world of make believe with you gives you an incredible high.

I made the choice to not continue with the theatre life . I know that it was the correct choice , because not too long after  I made that choice I met the most incredible person that has changed my life and has made me a better person. If I would have kept on chasing my theatrical dreams I would not have been married to the person that completes who I am .

Since I was very young I dreamed about someday running in two races. The Boston Marathon and The New York City Marathon. Until three years ago that dream was dead too, but I started running again and started seeing my times inch closer and closer to the qualifying times for these events. Both Marathons have made it more difficult lately to qualify by increasing there standards.

I just ran the Cleveland Marathon , I ran it in 3 Hours and 43 minutes , my best marathon was 3 hours and 34 minutes . It was pretty warm in Cleveland and I gave it everything I had, but it wasn't meant to be. I was not planning on running another full marathon this year , but now I am not so sure.

The past couple days I have found myself looking at fall marathons to run. That is the competitive side of me coming out and for the past three years I have given into that side and done it. However, now there is an equally strong voice coming and is saying that I have given it everything that I have and to move on .


"The older you get the more things you have to leave on the table,that's life" is a quote from the movie "Rocky Balboa" . I am not talking about giving up running, I will run until my legs fall off, it is an important part of my life, but is it time to leave these two goals on the table and walk away? I just don't think that I am good enough achieve them anymore.

My Running Journey

Cleveland Marathon is Coming... am I Tough Enough

The Boston Marathon was ran this past Monday in extremely hot weather for this time of year for Boston, Massachusetts . The race directors offered the participants a chance to duffer their entry until next year do the extreme heat . Some did take them up on their offer, but a friend of mine did not. She ended up participating and finishing the race . Not only did she have the heat to deal with , but a week leading up to the race she could barely breath and had foot problems where she didn't even know that she was going to participate because of her health . Then she was given the chance to defer to next year, and she declined, then proved her toughness.

If I were in the same of circumstances as she was, I don't know if I would run . Even though it has always been a dream of mine to run Boston (and New York). I might have taken the chance to differ my entry to next year. I admire her courage and her toughness, I am not sure if I have if I have that level of toughness. My attempt at the Buffalo Marathon last year is weighing heavily on my mind.I am very concerned about history repeating itself this year .

One comment my friend made on her Facebook page is that her family is tough and doesn't quit. I have said the same thing to my kids many times when they want to drop out of something. I have used my training for marathons as an example, sometimes I would love to stay in my pajamas all day and play mindless games on Facebook, but I made a commitment and I have to see it through.

However, am I tough enough to see it through...... family history shows that I have it in my genes.

• In 1988 my father had a massive stroke which left him 3/4 paralyzed on the right side of his body. He had to learn to walk, talk and do many different everyday tasks that we take for granted all over again. He did this and never complained.

• In the mid 2000's my father learned that he had prostate cancer and he had to go get treatments. He never complained. You would have never known he was dealing with cancer at the time unless you were told (Yes, he beat it)  

• In 2009 he suffered more strokes which more or less robbed him of his ability to walk and talk, but he fought back and did not loose his smile or the ability to say "How are you?"

• My father passed away this past February, on the night before he died, my son ran up to him and hugged him. Up until this point he was having a hard time responding to anything going on around him. However, when Riley hugged him , my Dad , for a brief instant looked at my son and smiled . It will be a moment that I will never forget. 

I could go on and on about about what my parents have taught me about being tough ( I could right a book about my Mom, she is one tough cookie as well!) . I have to keep reminding myself that running a measly 26.2 miles in Cleveland (The world's greatest city) is NOTHING compared to what my parents have gone through. 

Latest Scan of My Head....Here are the results:

It has been a while since I have posted here so I thought I would give you a few things that have been on my mind since January 7th when  I posted about socks in a vending machine. So I may be all over the board with this one.

Our Best Chance to beat Obama

Presidential Election: I have thrown my support (whatever that is worth) behind Mitt Romney. I think that he is the most qualified person for the position of those who are running. I consider myself a conservative (at least on some issues), and maybe Romney isn't as conservative as people want him to be, but he is the most qualified for the job.

How does this guy know this?

Gay Marriage : I can not think of a good excuse for preventing same sex marriage. Doesn't say in the Bible that is not up to us  judge others? How does same sex marriage effect your everyday life. I was raised not to judge people and for too long I did that, it and never got me anywhere. If someone is in love and wants to spend the rest of their with someone they feel is their soul mate , who are we to judge? How is that different from me spending the rest of my life with my wife and raising a family? The answer I will receive is that it is not right, not natural or it is not what God has intended . Who are we to interpret what God wants? Then we pass along that interpretation as judgement of others lives?   There should be nothing to judge! Aren't you sinning if you are judging? How are homosexuals hurting you and your life?

The Miami Heat's Martin protest

The Trayvon Martin Shooting: This story interests me only because the public has already issued a guilty verdict on George Zimmerman (the man who shot Martin) . If you don't know what is going on I encourage you to look up the story. I have a few opinions on this. The main one being that all the evidence has not been presented in a court of law, and we have not heard everything that has happened yet from all witnesses and we should reserve our opinions until that evidence has been presented. This is a lesson that applies to the mainstream media and those (including Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and the Miami Heat to name a few) who have already passed judgement on Zimmerman need to understand.


That  is a few things to chew on for today , I welcome any comments below (Click on Comments ) or any through email (Click on word email) . I promise more will come soon!

Densil's Head Scan Home

Socks in a vending Machine

Here is the picture of the Socks.....

Because I am sick