A Little Perspective (at Just the Right Moment)

This Saturday I will attempt to walk a marathon (26.2 miles). Then I will set up and sleep in a tent, shower in a truck, and wake up at the crack of dawn on Sunday to walk another half marathon (13.1 miles). I've been training and fundraising for three months, and now the big event is in three days! I tend to spin myself into an anxiety frenzy about this kind of thing--worrying, packing, worrying, worrying.

So it was a blessing to receive this in my inbox. It's a message to all of us walkers from a Crewmember (they are the people who do pretty much everything to make sure that all we walkers have to do is walk and are taken care of if we can't), and is an important reminder about perspective, and why I signed up for this in the first place:

For those about to walk for the first time, I thought this just might help address those nagging questions:

I am so nervous! – Ok, you’re nervous. So what?

What if I can’t walk all the way? – Who cares? No one is keeping track but you.

What if I get a blister? – What if you do?

What if I don’t know anyone? – You’ll meet hundreds of nice people.

What if I packed too much? – You did.

What if I didn’t pack something? – You’ll live.

What if it rains? – You’ll get wet; you won’t drown.

What if is it cold? - You won't freeze to death.

What if it is hot? – You’ll sweat.

What if I don’t like the food? – You’ll pass 472 supermarkets and convenience stores; you’ll manage.

What if I don’t like the porta-potties? – No one LIKES the porta-potties. You’ll survive.

What if I don’t like the showers? – Ok, don’t shower. But you should check with your tent mate first.

What if I can’t sleep in a tent? – You’ll be tired; you’ll sleep.

What if…? Enough already with the “What if’s?” You’ll do fine. Relax and enjoy the experience.

Because of the money you’ve raised, money is going to go towards early detection programs. In a few months, a woman (or a man) is going to take advantage of one of those programs, and is going to find out that they have breast cancer. But because of you, they will have found out early enough to get treatment, and to survive. They are going to get to watch their kids grow up, and to be there at their concerts and their games. They are going to go to their graduations and to their weddings. They are going to get to see their grandchildren. And their kids will never have to face growing up without them. All because of you. And while they will never know it, you will know it.

Any more questions? No?

Have a great walk. Stop by and say hi! I'll be crewing, and spending most of Day 1 at Rest Stop 3, and Day 2 at lunch.

You can bet I'll stop by and say hi. :)