Today I had the chance to go back up to Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA where I am working with the students on having a bone marrow drive on April 20th. When I went to school there it was basically the Gateway to Hell (Lancaster that is). Now it’s become this trendy, hot little area….well compared to where it was, no one will confuse Lancaster Pennsylvania for Soho (sorry to the Amish people for that, but it’s late at night so I doubt they are reading it now, no electricity and all) and it’s really inspiring as I may have said before to work with these students who are so committed to this cause. One of the things I like to talk about, when anybody will listen, which seems limited sometimes, is that to get over obstacles or do something meaningful we need to show COURAGE. Think on it. To volunteer we need courage, to do a race we need it, to ask someone out, or to even register as a bone marrow donor. In fact it is plain scary I think anytime we do something new because for me, it’s a matter of then going back to what’s comfortable, which may not be right at the time, but it doesn’t take courage. When we do new things, there are always people that say negative things, including ourselves. I ask, ” why do that, who cares, no one will pay attention”. The simple point is we can not impact change without having the courage to make change. I know that for us it took courage to get out and face this cruel disease head-on , to enjoy our life, and to work to find matches for others and us. Same in racing, it’s abut controlling the situation not letting the situation control you. We may ask and say, ” it doesn’t matter what I do so why be courageous and go out on a limb”, but the fact is it does matter because without courage we can’t have my second C which is CCOMMITMENT. Stay tuned more on that later in another entry.
Now for some fun stuff. OK on the Brinkley front, the world’s worst Golden Retriever, yes fans, she did make it through last week in doggy overnight camp and not get kicked out. I think we found a winning new home for when we go away. While I was away I was thinking that no news was good news but alas, when we got back we were informed that the Tasmanian Devil had indeed performed her own midnight covert mission and somehow taken another dogs bed in the cage next to her and ate it…normally I’d get an ear full, but it so happens the other dog was my brothers, and so it must be an internal family thing with the dogs. Of course when Brinkley got home she proceeded to eat a plant, got sick all over the white carpet twice, and then snored all night so things ae back to normal…note to me, no more white carpet.
In terms of patient resources, anyone that needs some good info, see the University of Michigan Bone Marrow Transplant Info Guide. It is a good page with lots of info (click on the underlined link in last sentence).
Hope some local folks can come by the Endurance Sports Expo this weekend. We are in booth 191. Until later, don’t eat any plants, but if you do, have the courage not to throw up on white carpet, and if you do, the commitment to clean it up!