5/19/2015
Kids keep me young and on my toes. The ones in the running group gave their all when they played games with me and it reminded me of how I needed to approach this journey. I had a hard time hiding the fact that the mishaps of the road had burdened my mind. It had even hindered my joy of running as I dwelled on negative thoughts. For a while I found it hard to shake the feeling. But I was able to remember my mission once I got on the playground.
All in all we had achieved what we set out to do on each stage so far. The first stage we focused on booking events and putting ourselves into the market. During stage two we gained momentum in the media. We checked off the boxes for those two objectives. Now that we are approaching stage three the focus shifts to fundraising.
The Westport Inn had donated a restful stay. We stayed another night because of the two events in Bridgeport. Crystal had a day off and was supposed to enjoy a girls’ day out with Michelle. While I read to the kids in Beardsely Elementary School my phone sounded. I ignored it thinking the person would leave a message but after calling back nine times I knew I had to answer it. Crystal was on the other end of the line asking about our insurance papers. Our situation had become sheer folly. How much more were we to endure? I continued my day with visions of a big dent on the side of our truck. When we finally met, Crystal showed me the tiny scratch. The lady that hit her had a much bigger cosmetic challenge to deal with.
All the activity took us to an exhausted state and we fell asleep as soon as we reached our room. When I next opened my eyes, a message awaited me on my phone. Michelle invited us to have a hearty breakfast before hitting the road.
Our destination was East Haven. The posh area of Westport became increasingly urban until I hit New Haven. I never realized Yale had rough surroundings. Then again, I guess Princeton and USC are also prestigious schools close to the ghetto. I crossed a bridge, turned a corner, and found myself in suburbia. The weather was cold and cloudy and we decided to take shelter.
That evening thunder sounded like fireworks in the distance. It roared non-stop. The rhythm of the rain put us to sleep but the dripping water woke us up. Oh yeah, water entered the trailer from above. So much for our patch job on the air conditioner. Arrrrg! When would we catch a break? The saving grace was that not too much water penetrated our guard. The priority of day went from getting to Westbrook, to eliminating the dripping water from the ceiling. We couldn’t afford damage to the trailer. Our beaten and battered trailer limped to the suburbs thirty plus miles away. The area the guy lived in was surrounded by mosquitoes; my sworn enemies. They attacked me the moment I stepped out of the car.
The fix took the repairman less than an hour. When we returned to the starting location we decided to use the remainder of the day to clean the inside of the trailer and wash our sheets. When the guy worked with the door open, it had allowed dozens of mosquitoes inside. While we cleaned we also exterminated the bugs one by one.
The run to Old Saybrook helped me unload the pounds of stress I carried. I didn’t need to think about switching roads. I ran fast under a warm sun and I let go. The green trees pleased my senses. I was close to the coast and the scent of sea air reached my nose. The scent mixed nicely with the white flowers that bloomed on the trees. Material things seemed inconsequential at that moment. If I didn’t reach my fundraising goals the world would not end. I always had the option to quit at any time. I chose to keep pushing forward. I needed to see this thing to completion.
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