Hi Guys ,
It’s been a crazy couple of months, so let me share what’s been going on. First, I want to thank my friend Dave Tuttle and the Families for Life Foundation for making me the beneficiary of this year’s charitable event which included an auction party and, also, a golf outing. It poured rain the morning of the outing, but the skies cleared just as people were arriving. The Foundation members and I agreed that the late Rex Karnes, for whom the Foundation was started, arranged to have the rain pass just in time for the golf. Next, I want to thank the volunteers and 23 foursomes who participated, and the generous donation that was given to Phil’s Fight Fund. It’s humbling to be on the receiving end of such love and generosity.
The following week, Steph and I flew to Colorado for our nine day vacation. Thanks to Tara and Dave Smith for allowing us to use their condo in Winter Park. It was sweet! Sister Sue arranged to have a hand cycle delivered to the condo for my use. Thanks to Matt Feeney and his Adaptive Adventures Organization for the bike, and, also, the ride that Matt took with Steph and me. I was just happy to have a way to exercise and be active, because that was always a big part of my Colorado trips.
I wrote previously that I had mixed emotions about this trip, it being my first since the accident. But, I found it to be more relaxing than previous visits to the mountains, because I didn’t have to worry about the planning and the packing and getting up at 4:00 a.m. to hike miles and miles to complete a 14er. We, also, enjoyed not being on a schedule. We drove the pass into Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park. It was breathtaking! We took a day trip to one of our favorite towns, Frisco. My cousin Mike and his wife, Linda, even drove up from Denver to have lunch with us. So, all in all, it was a great trip. I guess I don’t have to climb mountains to enjoy a vacation. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m a human being, not a human doing. It’s okay to just be.
I was so encouraged by this trip that a couple of weeks later, I drove solo to Sue’s house in Pennsylvania. This is a drive that I usually made twice a year to visit Sue, John, Luke and Paige. It felt good to do this alone, like I had in the past. I saw Luke’s high school football team win big, and he even had an interception for his Uncle Phil! (It’s all about me, remember?) So, it felt good to do one more thing alone for the first time.
Back in Ohio, I was trying to get back into my routine, and tackle the huge piles of bills and papers that required my attention. The phone rang and it was Rob Oller, a name I recognized for his daily column in the Columbus Dispatch sports section. He said that someone called his editor and he wanted to do a story about me training for the Columbus Marathon. My friend, Kathleen Williams, is the volunteer coordinator for the event, and had been encouraging me to participate. I was considering it, but my training was severely lacking. Once I read the article, I knew that I had to do the marathon. No outs!
Rob Oller interviewed me for about 40 minutes, and the phtographer took pictures. Even though I know what I said to Rob, you never know how the story is going to be written and interpreted. I was pretty nervous the day before the article was published. The following morning, I opened the Dispatch, and there I was on the front page of the sports section. Upon reading it, I thought Rob did a good job. He’s obviously a good writer, and acquaintances who read it said it captured me pretty well – just a regular guy who’s having to change his concept of self.
I was more nervous about the logistics of the Marathon than the 26 miles I’d have to hand-peddle. We awoke at 5:00 a.m. to be positioned at the starting line by 7:20 a.m. I, of course, was running late. By the time I rode my bike from my van to the starting area, I was enveloped by several thousand runners who were to go off 5 minutes after the handicap division. I worked my way through the crowd, and, fortunately, a runner became aware of my plight and helped part the sea of people so I could arrive at the starting line 30 seconds late. The cold temperature caused my fingers to go numb, and I couldn’t feel them as I changed gears throughout the course.
The crowds that lined the route cheered and encouraged us as we passed by, which kept me and the other athletes going. I even heard people say, “There’s that guy who was in the paper!” Also, I have many friends and family to thank for being my personal rooting section. It was, truly, a feeling of elation to cross the finish line, and to know I’d done it! I wasn’t aware that there was prize money. So, next year –watch out! The racers had better watch their backs.
I continue to realize how blessed I am to have so many good people in my life. I wouldn’t be able to do these things without their help.
It’s been an eventful couple of months. It’s a good thing I have a life that keeps me busy, while the Buckeyes’ season slowly goes down the drain. I’m thinking of establishing a fund to find Jim Tressel an offensive coordinator, but don’t get me started.
I’m going over to Meg and Amy’s tonight to go Trick-or-Treating with Cami and Jack. So, I’ve got to run. Please keep in touch! Phil
P.S. Our band, “All Folked Up”, will be playing at The Peddler Lounge on Friday, November 28th. Come on out and join in a great time!
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