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Monday June 25, 2018


Ready, fire, aim …

A race starts with a starting line, crack of a starter’s pistol and adrenalin. Any kind of race.

But what about Monday morning?

Are we in our blocks, ready and set to hear GO?

Or crawling out of bed – reluctant to race? Whether it is work, a relationship of any kind or a road trip, are we poised for the race to begin or just strolling along expecting things to happen all on their own?

I’m too often guilty of not enough rest or preparation or energy when I start my day – I suspect we all are. Would we expect the race car driver, the downhill skier, the speed skater or swimmer to ever win any race if they weren’t poised and ready to race their best when the race was ready to start?

I’m a human male. I’m in a race. Most days I think I’m ahead of my pack, I read obituaries of people who have fallen by the wayside and I see all those younger smarter slick racers following the same path. Some are racing like sprinters, living fast and burning up too much of life early when they are in a distance race. Some are plodding so slow they’ll never run out of fuel – but one must wonder if they’ll ever get very far.

Now, more than ever, I’m ready for life. A good life has sprint and rest stops, but mostly it’s a marathon of hopes and dreams, a long distance race to spend the journey on worthy efforts. Give your all. That’s all you have, and nobody expects anything more. Or less.

Reader feedback:

CALL DISPLAY

When the phone rings I answer it unless call display determines it’s really someone I want to avoid.   I don’t listen past the first few words of automated important announcements from Westjet or any other robo calls.   If it was that important they would call me personally.   If it’s a survey and I have time I will participate if the questions aren’t too personal.  Sometimes it is a caller with a service I am actually interested in.   I’m typically very nice to telemarketers when they call because behind that voice is a person just trying to make a living.  A person.  I was in sales and I used to make those calls too.   It’s a grind.  So, I’m polite and give them back positive energy and wish them a nice day.   That’s how I want to be treated and who knows, maybe that ordinary kindness gives that anonymous caller the energy needed to make the next call and the next sale to put groceries on the table, DM, Ladysmith, BC


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