When the Evil One told me about some guy walking across the country I said it had been done before -- 40 years ago -- and I had read the books. Cruising around this morning I found Steve's story, followed the link and read some of his journal. What really surprised me wasn't that he was walking across America to find himself, get healthier and lose some of his 400+-pound bulk, but this:
Getting to New York is not a matter of success or failure to me, instead it is a certainty. I have no doubt at all about my ability to get there. What is in question is whether it is necessary. I feel that this journey has been a great success for me personally because I accepted the challenge, walked out of my security, and faced down my insecurities to get to where I am today. Happy in my own skin.
I will make it to New York because it is important for more than just myself to do so. Unless I decide to stop at the New York state border, seven miles short of Times Square, and then just go home having failed to reach my goal. Either way I still win because I will be a happier and healthier person because of the experience. Incredibly, so will all of you, because everyone who encourages a person to face down their fears and freely walk into the firestorm of their own personal demons, has helped more than just that person. They have helped all of us, because there is one more happier person in the world.
What you do by building up instead of tearing down does more for our future generations than most people have ever imagined that they would do.
He wrote that in September 2005.
I'll shut up now.
No comments:
Post a Comment