Wednesday, October 24, 2007

What Matters?

What Makes you Tick?
I'm a jerk, ask a lot of people. Chase will tell you, that dumbass in Arkansas that said that it's a "fact" there is no global warming (oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you were the world's smartest person. Perhaps I should read your book, "Where God went Wrong.") will tell you. A string of ex-wives will tell you (ok, one). SuperDave can tell you. Now, one of my beloved Cross Country runners can tell you that as well.
The Scene:

Two of our top runners are out. This person, usually our 7th runner, is our 5th runner. We have a chance to well in a big meet. Our top 4 runners (the top 5 score) all run great, all she has to do is run OK. Sometimes you don't have it, I understand that, but darn it, you should try. After she all but walks to the finish, as two runners pass her right before the finish line and the clock clicks from 27:59, to 28:00 and she finishes in 28:01. Coach Mathews was not happy.

"I could never do that." I tell her.

"What?" she asks.

"Run an :01"

"What?"

"If I'm that close, I'm charging, forget about the two people that passed you at the end. How can you see that clock and just trot toward it? I'm not letting that happen. If I ever run an 01, I'm bursting a lung going for a :59."

.....................There's a Time I can Live with!.............
She didn't get it. Maybe you don't either, and that's OK. That clock which ticks also makes me tick. It is just one gauge of my effort.


Boy I hope I am charging life's clock like a race clock!

6 comments:

Chase Squires said...

Aw, don't sell yourself short, Andy. You're a tremendous slouch.

Mr. Matt said...

Thanks! That's what I'm talking about, if you're gonna slouch, slouch! I knew you'd you stick up for me.

Roger Sutton said...

Caddyshack references? Is this now a golf blog? I sure hope so as the additional source of stories may help get Andy through the next 319 days...

Chase Squires said...

I'll always stick up for you, m'man ... in fact, just the other day, some women said you weren't fit to sleep with pigs. I defended you. I said you were.

Mr. Matt said...

And then she said, "You'd have to pay him to be good." You said, "No way, he's good for Nothing!" Thanks bud, with friends like you I don't need.... friends that are Rockies fans! Go Sox!

Arlene said...

I've never run an:01 either. Busted my *ss, my asthmatic lung, and whatever else it took to get a 23:59 in a 5K in my hey day. then I had the indecency to ask the race director if the course was measured right! Didn't want to think that I may have run a :01 if the course wasn't right. So I understand Mr Mathews!

Go SOX!