Aim for Lethargy

I am blessed. There is not a single doubt in my mind.  Some days my blessings are positively overwhelming in their abundance. This morning I woke up in Bangor, Maine. The sun was streaming across my bed.  As I fought consciousness, I peaked at the time and stretched. I had nowhere to be before 4pm and I lay in one of the most comfortable hotel beds ever.  Finally I got up and peered outside.  The view from my hotel window began a grin that that stayed with me all day... The sky was blue, the river was gorgeous.  The inspiration to run was in front of me.

I ran 5 miles, following the river as I went.  Running past Victorians and Salt Box homes, and grinning like a mad woman.  During my run it occurred to me that in 4 days I had put in 22 miles of training.  My runs are getting faster, easier, and longer.  Today the weather was perfect, topping off at 75'.  I could have run farther but as I ran I made other plans.

I returned to my room with a burning need to go back out again.  I showered and did what I always do... Went for a long walk around the town thru which I just finished running.   I wanted to look closer at the history and homes of today's 'modern' Bangor.  Cataloging my memories by taking pictures on every other corner.  I knew I'd be blogging my day, because perfect days like this deserve an honorable mention.

As I walked through the town I received a slurry of texts from a friend who is in a new relationship.  We both feel this guy is a keeper.  I'm sending her back sage advice on how to make it work.  How once you decide that this person is "it", you have to put your ego and pride to the side and focus on your end goal.  Where your norm during tough times might be to say "bite me" and walk away, your new norm must be to ask yourself each time who you are hurting by letting your ego talk for you.  Her response was "I get it.  It's better to be happy than right all the time"... Exactly!

Days end... in a new hotel room, in a new city (Houston)... I'm curled up in a large decently appointed bed... I reread the text that was waiting for me when I turned on my phone... My man had sent it to say how much he loves me, how he thinks about me all the time, and asked if I have a clue how much I truly mean to him...

Yeah baby... I know... Thank you for finishing my day with the ultimate reminder of how blessed I am.  <3

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Aim For Critics

I was blessed to have two late reports on my last work pairing (trip).  This enabled me to run 5 miles each morning before I got ready for work.  I ran in Fayetteville, NW Arkansas, along a long flat road, and in Chattanooga, TN, I headed for the hills.  I found the road kill along the way amusing.  Only in the south will you run past dead armadillo and snakes.  Made me wonder what was lurking in the bushes and high grass fields I was running by.

My captain, for this trip, remarked at how 'shocked' the trees looked in both cities due to the drought.  Both times I agreed with him, but it struck me how I had never noticed the trees during my runs as I had been looking down.  I remembered smiling at all the delicate ground cover...  little purple floss flowers... sweet potato vines... star flower... and more...  Drought?  What drought?  Signs of drought are there to be found but I wasn't looking for it, therefore I didn't see the ugliness he saw.

On the plane day two, it came out that both the captain and I are... are you ready for this?  Liberals.  I laughed at the captain and said "A liberal in the flight deck?  It can't be!" 

The FO said, "I'm sorry, we can't be friends now."  Of course we all laughed...

I was telling this story to my boo later that night and he pointed out that is a difference between liberals and conservatives.  Liberals amass friends from all walks of life because they respect and accept different opinions.  Conservatives will write you off for being a liberal bleeding heart.  What my FO said, you'd never hear out of liberal's mouth.

I guess that's why I fit the bleeding heart liberal image.  I hear drought and how bad things are and I look and see the beauty still around me.  I have left my mind and heart open to finding beauty everywhere and in everyone.

I'm rewarded with a multitude of blessings... including finding a $20 bill on one of those runs.  It's been donated to the American Cancer Society... under the 'from', I put "God".  I figure if rain is a blessing from God for the drought, then finding money during my training run on a Sunday is his way of saying "You GO girl!  Count me IN!"...

If you want to join God the link to donate follows... ;D

I'm doing the hard part, running 13.1... You can do the easy part by clicking here now and donating!

Aim For Paralyzing Phobias

Yesterday a woman walked onto my plane, took me to the side of my galley and said she might have a problem... that she thought she had seen someone board the plane with an animal.  I said "Yes, a cat."  She winced and I asked, "Are you allergic?"

"No I have a phobia.  I don't know if I can do this."

I ask where she is sitting because I know the cat is located at the front of the plane...  bad luck, she is supposed to be sitting right behind it.  I ask if she can make the 25 minute flight in the back of the plane if I move someone for her.  "I think so", and I find someone to move forward.

She's desperately trying to keep it together, and she's mortified that I can see her fear.  I tell her I understand.  That I'm terrified of heights.  She looks at me with a raised eyebrow and I say, "I know, not a great fear to have in my carreer, but I never look out of the window."  Then I lean in closer and say, "And get this, when my boyfriend moved to Atlanta, he got an apartment in a high rise building... on the 34th floor.  Floor to ceiling windows.  Do you KNOW how long it took him to get me near those?  I get vertigo everytime."  She forgets her fear long enough to smile and feel my pain.  She gets that I understand is some small way.

She says shes unsure if she can walk by the row the cat is in.  I tell her I have her back and WE are going to do it together.  I'm going to walk with her and she's going to look into my eyes as I talk her all the way to the back.  Thats how we do it.  When she hesitates by the cat row and starts to look over in that direction.  I bring her attention back to my face.  "Look at me.  WE can do this."  She shakes her head in agreement... Deep breath and another step.  I talk to he, gently encouraging her all the way to the back.  Then I give her kleenex and a glass of water and promise her that I will visit her throughout the short flight.  As luck has it her new seatmate is chatty and funny and has her laughing by the middle of the flight.  When it is over, and everyone is off the plane, I hug her and tell her she can be PROUD of herself.  That she was STRONGER than her fear,  She worked through it.  She was beaming.

It's terrible to have a fear that impedes you from doing things that you may enjoy.  I've worked through my fear of heights to the best of my abilities.  I can sit on my boo's balcony and eat, as long as I don't sit next to the railing.  His table in front of me, saves me from the vertigo.  I have to admit that he can't sit too close to the railing without me begging him to move back a bit.  I know this has nothing to do with my vertigo and everything to do with my other major fear... losing him.

I've gone to the top of the Eifel Tower, kept my back to the wall, and enjoyed the views.  I CAN appreciate amazing vistas...  I just can't look DOWN.  In fact, I've learned to love my boo's view... from his couch in the middle of the room, with a glass of wine...

We all fight our fears daily, from real fears of danger... killing a snake on your property... to perceived irrational fears, our superstitions or perhaps repressed memories from childhood.  That most of our fears CAN be conquered is a testament to human strength and resiliance.

I WAS proud of my passenger.  I honestly didn't think I was going to succeed in talking her off the ledge... I know she was within inches of jumping off that plane and taking another flight.  She hates her fear... is embarrased by it... but she WORKED IT OUT.  She's stronger than she gives herself credit for. 

I have a few passengers over the past five years that I know I'll always remember.  This woman will be in that list.  Not because of her weakness but because of her strength.

Speaking of strength... it's time to get out of my bed in Ashville... one of my favorite towns we fly to... and go get today's training in... aiming for 5-6 miles of hilly terrain...  What little butt I have is going to be in pain in a few hours...  But I've already promised I'd reward myself at the Chocolate Fetish...  There is a chocolate covered orange peel in my future...  as soon as I conquer the miles.

To all of my friends out there...  BELIEVE in yourself...  You're stronger than you know.

Peace Out

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