Skip to main content

Speechless

I'm utterly speechless (or thoughtless) right  now. Perhaps it is because I just talked my friends' ears off for several hours? Yeah, I have some good friends...

Because I am speechless I'm simply going to leave you all with a poem that one of my friends shared with me this week. It is ringing in my head as I ponder all the challenges we choose or are presented in our lives.

Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. 
William Ernest Henley 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

All in a Day's Work

I don't even know how to begin this post... Several months ago, my sister had this bright idea to do her first half iron distance triathlon. I have always wanted to do one so I told her if she did it I would do it too. Next thing I know I was clicking register now on the registration page of the Highcliff Triathlon in Wisconsin. You can read about some of the reactions I received when I announced to various friends that I was going to do this race here . Over the months my friends have taken on the challenge of being supportive and cheering me on along the way. This was no easy feat as I was on the training roller coaster. As the day approached, I thought about all of the possible things that could go wrong and right. I had visions of myself standing on the side of the bike course with a flat tire, me holding on to a lifeguard boat, dreams about wearing clown shoes for the run, and on and on... I also day dreamed about the finish line, what it might look like, who would be the...

I Have Multiple Sclerosis

One of my favorite bike rides ever! I have debated whether I was going to make this public for quite some time, however there really aren't any significant reasons why I wouldn't share. It hasn't impacted my life dramatically, and if I'm lucky, it never will. I also don't want to be a poster child, nor do I require or want any special treatment simply because I have MS. The thing is, I know more and more people who are impacted significantly by this disease and I feel compelled to help the cause. So for one purpose only, I am outing myself. Here's the brief story. Two years ago my tongue went numb, my arm went numb and I though I slept funny or had a mini stroke. I brushed it off as sleeping funny day after day, after day. Then my eye started twitching, among other symptoms. I decided I was simply crazy... After a while all of these symptoms became so infuriating so I went to the doctor. While at the doctor, he chalked it up to stress, but after a closer ...

Social Media and Athleticism

***I am going to use some terminology that might be offensive to some, Sorry! Also, this is a bit of a rant so read on if you wish... This is also probably going to make me seem OLD!!!*** Isn't this the truth!!! It is a rare occasion, anymore, to have a conversation with a friend that doesn't include at least a brief mention of Facebook. Daily Mile is creeping up to be of similar stature with the running crowd. I have been analyzing the impact of social media on my life for some time. Many smart (and not so smart) people have conducted studies on the psychological impact of social media on humans. Like any research, you can find a study to match any position you would like to take on this issue, I am going to be the guinea pig for this post though! So, in my case I gave up regular use of Facebook back in December. I now have, what I call, Facebook Sunday. Every Sunday I allow myself unrestricted use of Facebook and I can honestly say that I probably ...