Heroes- A Personal Note

I'm going out of town this weekend. Not for a business trip, and not exactly for a vacation (though it is a chance to "get away"). I'm heading down to St. George. This weekend is the St. George marathon and my best friend is running in it. My very best friend. My wife.
Early this year, my wife read a book titled, "Running With Angels". The book is the personal story of a Utah woman who overcame the obstacles of losing children to death and being obese to run in the Deseret News Marathon a few years back. Though not extremely overweight, my wife has tried for years to achieve and maintain her ideal weight. Somehow, this book spoke directly to her. She made the committment that she was going to train for a marathon. She began running and has since run in a 5K, a leg of the Ogden Marathon Relay, a 15K, and a half marathon. She even found a coach to help her train at no charge.
It hasn't been easy for her to get up every other morning and run for a few hours, but she's done it. This weekend, I get to witness first hand the fruits of her labors.
My wife is a hero of mine and truly an inspiration. She has chosen a task and saw it through to fruition. I would love to have even a small portion of that dedication with many of the tasks I attempt.
It's a funny thing about heroes. They are ordinary people who are able to accomplish extraordinary things. For some, a marathon might not be a big deal. For my wife and I, it is. We should be cautious about what we treat so flippantly and take for granted- For others around us, it is those very things that will vaunt them to hero status in the eyes of those close to them. And it may be those very things that make us heroes to those still trying to master them.

True Torchbearers

Years ago, I heard a poem quoted. I love the poem because of the many applications it has in my life, both spiritual and temporal. It's called "The Torchbearer":
"The God of the great endeavor gave me a torch to bear.
I lifted it high above me in the dark and murky air;
And straightway with loud hosannas the crowd proclaimed its light
And followed me as I carried my torch through the dark and starless night,
Till drunk with the people's praises and mad with vanity
I forgot 'twas the torch they followed and fancy they followed me.
"Then slowly my arm grew weary upholding the shining load
And my tired feet went stumbling over the dusty road.
I fell with the torch beneath me.
In a moment the light was out.
When lo! from the throng a stripling youth sprang forth with a mighty shout,
Caught up the torch as it smoldered, and lifted it high again,
Till fanned by the wings of heaven, it fired the souls of men.
"And as I lay in the darkness the feet of the trampling crowd
Passed over and far beyond me, its paeans proclaimed around,
And I learned in the deepening twilight this glorious verity,
‘Tis the torch the people follow, whoever the bearer may be."
("The Torchbearer," unknown, from The Master of Men, comp. by Thomas Curtis Clark)

As "Ogden's Optimist", I don't wish to debate by name who is and who is not a true torchbearer. I have, however, had opportunity over the past few months to watch the exchanges take place in the "blogosphere", particularly that corner I call "BlOgden." I have observed people strong in their cause outside of cyberspace as well. As I watch, I have seen many take their own torch and have seen the crowds follow them. Some get so caught up in the glory of having a following, -or at the least have others agree with them, they lose sight of what caused them to carry the torch in the first place. Yet some are the true torchbearers- holding their ideals so that people can see the ideals. Yes, they put their names out there for people to stomp on and belittle, but they keep in mind that those who follow are following the torch- the ideal.
True torch bearers remember that even if they are trampled, the thing that matters is to keep the torch burning. True followers recognize the bearer for what he or she is- an emissary- one who's duty it is to illuminate the truth for others to see and make their own judgements.
As you prepare to go to the polls in one week, listen to your heart of hearts and learn for yourself who the true torchbearers are.

"Your Medical Home" Builds a New Home

On Friday morning, I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend the groundbreaking for the new Midtown Community Health Center. Though not an extremely large event (only about 100-200 in attendance), the energy at the groundbreaking site was contagious. Currently on 28th St., the Midtown Health Clinic serves over 15,000 patients a year- most without health coverage. The new site, on Adams Ave. between 22nd Street and 23rd Street, will double that capacity.
With the motto, "Your Medical Home," this is truly a blessing for the community. The physicians and staff at this facility could most likely be employed in the medical field where they would be earning quite a bit more than they do, but they see the need to help the underserved in the community.
As a side note, (which will please those who feel that the city administration is paying for everything under the sun), Mayor Godfrey was invited to share a few comments. He remarked that he felt a bit out of place commenting on this particular endeavor because the city really hadn't been much involved in the process of getting the Midtown Clinic to this point (aside from selling the land to them). Most of the funding did come from private and public foundations and individuals.
Good luck building your new home, Midtown!

Words of Wisdom from Master Yoda

I am a "Star Wars" fan. One thing I particularly enjoy about "Star Wars" is Yoda. It's hard to not be enamored with a guy who's less than three feet tall and take on evil dudes more than twice his size- and win (or at least, in the case of Episode III, not get turned into green goo).
One of the most fascinating things about Yoda is the words he uses. Forget the fact that most of his sentences are backwards. We still understand the point he's making. He is the epitome of wisdom and truth, and fans love him for it.
As I read fellow blogger- UTmorMAN's post yesterday about the "Ogden Complex", I couldn't help but think of a few things that Yoda has said. One of the quotes I will use in a future post. The first one I thought of also tied into a previous post of mine when I talked about the "Worst Four Letter Word". In Episode I: "The Phantom Menace," Master Yoda meets with young Anakin Skywalker and senses the fear in him. When Skywalker asks, "What has that got to do with anything?" Yoda responds, "Everything... Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering... I sense much fear in you."
I don't profess to be anywhere near Yoda-caliber in personality, "Force sensitivity", or the like, but I see his point. There is much anger and hate being exuded by some within the community. Taking Yoda's observation, we can trace much of that hate back to fear- hence, the "Ogden Complex".
Ogdenites are afraid. We're afraid of failure... again. Much of the problem is our view of past events. We look at an emplty lot where there used to be a mall and say we failed with the mall. We see that people aren't "flocking" to the new townhomes on 25th Street and chalk it up to some failure. We look at the exodus of stores from Ogden (Cross Western, Hastings, Deseret Book, etc) and call t failure. I think we have a failure mentality. We look at change as failure.
Mostly, we look at the "vision" for Ogden's future and fear. "What if," we ask ourselves, "we try the rec center, gondola, river project, etc. and we FAIL?"
So rather than confront the fear, we (meaning those who hate) hide the fear behind a wall of hate. Yes, we are all afraid that failure is a possible outcome of this. But as the saying goes, "'Tis better to have TRIED and failed, than to never have tried at all."
May the Force be with us all!

Men Really Can Cook

On Friday, September 16 I attended the 14th Annual "Real Men Can Cook" fundraiser for Your Community Connection (YCC) held at the Union Station. Restaurants and others throughout the community were present to provide a sampling feast of delicious foods and various cuisines. It was fairly well attended (though I don't recall seeing any people of "esteemed political import"). The food there was wonderful- Chili Verde, Meatballs, Stir Fry, Fried Shrimp, Jumbalaya, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding Salad" - and even one mean chili, fittingly titled (I expect for the occasion at hand) "Real Man's Chili". Desserts were as varied as the main courses, highlighted by scouter Dave Metcalfe's locally famous Dutch Oven Cobblers.
The cause was a good one (all proceeds benefit the YCC), but the thing I found wonderful was that so many people from the Ogden area could come together to help such a great cause. It was gratifying to see so many happy faces at this event, in spite of reasons (Hurricane Katrina, local political issues, rising prices for fuel, etc.) that could convice others of the contrary.
Let's keep Ogden in this positive light and show not just real men, but the city as a whole can really cook!

Just Keeping A Promise

A little more than two million minutes. That's how much time has passed since that fateful day. The day when innocence was lost to our country- forever. Though over two million minutes have passed since then, the thousand or so minutes of that day will remain etched in my mind for all time. I was headed to teach school in Layton. En route, I needed to stop by Wal-Mart to take my wife's birthday present out of layaway (her birthday is later in September, but I was about due for the allotted time for layaway). I had been listening to a local talk radio show, and just before I parked the car, I heard mention of a plane having struck the World Trade Center. As I listened further, the size of the plane varied from a small passenger plane to a large DC-10, depending on the varying accounts of witnesses.
I was intrigued, but focused on the task at hand- getting my wife's dress. At the layaway counter, I waited for what seemed like hours. Finally, the cashier was ready to help me. As I finished the transaction, I asked her if she had heard about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. She said she hadn't, but as with my initial reaction, wasn't overly concerned by it.
When I returned to my car, the realities of the horrors of the day were just beginning- the second plane had struck the second tower. The United States was under attack!
I hurried to my school not daring to believe what my ears were hearing... Total recall.. North Tower... Planes... Smoke... Terrorist.
As I exited the freeway, the news worsened. Washington, D.C. had also come under attack with news of the Pentagon in flames as well. I cursed out loud and tried to make it to my school as fast as I could. After parking the car, I ran into the main office and shouted, "The Pentagon's been hit!" The faces of my coworkers said it all. We were devastated. And what's more, we had to still teach students- or at the very least, keep them calm.
Before heading to my classroom, I went to the media center. It was there that I first witnessed the destruction. Ironically, my first thought was that it didn't look "that bad", and I honestly felt that the towers would remain standing.
I tore myself away from the television and went to my classroom. Facing those middle-school aged students was a very difficult task. They showered me with question all day- "Are we at war? Will we be safe here? What about my parents? Are family members in the military going to have to go somewhere?" I fielded the questions as best I could. I hooked up my classroom television to my computer and allowed them to watch the best we could on MSNBC.
When I arrived home at the end of the day, I remember envying my three year old daughter who had no clue as to the terror around her. I also felt sorry that she would never truly know a "pre-9/11" world. I also remember the calming words sung by "our" own Mormon Tabernacle Choir that evening. "...Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears!"
All of us will vividly remember the events of that day. Since then, we have erected countless memorials to remind us, (including one at my current place of employment) many inscribed with the promise- "We will never forget".
That's why I share my own account, as "simplistic" as it may sound.
I'm keeping a promise.

Great! Great! Great!

Over the years, it has been a kind of unspoken tradition at church to chat with the guys for a few minutes about the local university football games. I think there was more said about Weber State this past Sunday than during Sundays past for the last eight years combined.
As mentioned on my previous post, I am a fan of college football, but I am not sure anyone could have predicted the routing that Weber State presented to Western State on Saturday. I had planned on going, but with my wife working (she's a nurse) and sick kids, I was left to wait for the 10:00 news to see highlights from this game. It all but made up for the sick feeling I had after watching BYU's fanny's handed to them by Boston College earlier in the day. I don't know, perhaps it was because Utah's win had happened a full day earlier and (as stated) BYU was picked apart by the Eagles, but there was a genuine interest in the Wildcats.
I'll be the first to admit, though a Weber State graduate, I have not exactly put myself in a position to be nominated for Alumnus of the Year. But I have always been genuinely interested in the success of WSU because of the attached success for the community. I have even cheered the Wildcats against other in state schools when the occasion to play them in basketball has arisen.
Needless to say, the potential for greatness this year is evident for the Wildcats. I do plan to attend at least one game this season (call me bandwagon, that's alright). And I hope for continued attention that this may bring my alma mater.
It's a great season ahead- for both the school and the community! Go Cats!

Ogden's Pep Rally

I am a big college football fan, particularly local football teams. This year, I have been particularly interested by the unique position facing all four Northern Utah universities. This year, each school is starting the year fresh with a new coach. The most fascinating aspect of this scenario has been to observe the way that all four schools have promoted their football program. The hype and talk of the new seasons is thrilling for any fan of these schools. Each season begins with anticipation and the prospect that this could be "the year".
I felt a similar surge of excitement as I opened the brochure about "The HUB" yesterday. The anticipation of what could be had me excited for Ogden's future. Of course, there are those out there who are skeptical of what is envisioned. Ironically, I have a friend whose father takes a similar approach to our favorite football team. The moment the team hits their first snag of a game, he throws his hands up in the air and proclaims something to the effect of, "Well, there goes the year," or "Doesn't that coach have a clue?" Yet this man still is a die hard fan.
Such is the scenario in Ogden. There are those who are certain that this is not going to be the time for Ogden to shine, despite their desires to see O-Town do well. To them, I say, "Be patient. This is just the beginning."
We can agree, after all- Ogden's due for a winning season!