Work in Progress

So, you think you had a tough day?

Because the stock market went down?
Because you had a fight with your kid?
Because you had a fight with your mom?
Because you had a fight with your bf?
Because the guy at the sandwich shop spoke to you?
Because the guy at the garage said your car wouldn't be ready until Tuesday?
Because your coffee was cold?
Because your GF was cold?
Because your server was down?
Because you scratched your precious car?
Because you scratched your precious picture?
Because the subway was slow?
Because the traffic was terrible?
Because your husband is a slob?

I get it. I have those days, too. Tough, brutal days. 

Hey, check out a picture of someone else having a tough day!

His tough day, (I'd estimate it as his 80th or so consecutive tough day) started at 4 AM. He woke up, had breakfast then ran a marathon.

Again.

His 80th (or so) marathon of the spring/summer in 1980.

As you can see from the picture, dude had one leg. So he was running a marathon a day on one leg. Every day.

What you can't see is the cancer growing in his lungs. It's in the picture, you just can't see it.

When Terry was asked how his day went, after running a marathon on one leg with lung cancer, he didn't say "brutal", "horrible" or "Are you shitting me, how do you think it went?".

He said it was "tough".

Tough.

The hero exists within that word. Tough.

If you know me, you know I'm a fan of words. Words matter. The words we choose matter. I'm thinking we should make an effort to choose our words more carefully and maybe tone down the drama some.

So, let's sum up:

My/Your tough day = (enter problem here)

His tough day = 80th consecutive day running a marathon on one leg with lung cancer, on his way for another 5 weeks or so until the cancer suspended his Marathon of Hope.

So, yeah.

Going forward, speaking only for myself, I will consider that word taken so, unless I can top that collection of challenges overcome, I will endeavour to keep a happier tone if asked how my day is going/went.

Suddenly, complaining seems rather unbecoming.

Dear Photograph, finale

Dear Photograph,
That’s how you grow a beard.
aleksandraniepsuj

Jamais deux sans trois.

Because markets are shitty and we should smile anyway.

 

Dear Photograph, again

Dear Photograph,

I’ll never let go.

Dad

um, ok. Holy shit.
I now dare you to look through this website and not shed a tear.

Dear Photograph

Dear Photograph,
I told you there would be better days.
Joel Witte

I dare you to look at this website and not be moved. I just dare you to try.

her first period

The Frantics-Her First Period - watch more funny videos

This is why having cell phone access on the subway will not be a good thing.

You may not be able to recognize me, but all three of the other guys in the video are me because this is exactly the kind of thing that inevitably happens to me.

In case of fire...

OK, guilty as charged...

I must admit there are times when the urgency of tweeting something overtakes other, more important, considerations but, that said, I know I'm not alone.

About two years ago, I recall sitting with my good friend Mike in a Vancouver Starbucks (where else? I said I was with Mike, remember?) and telling him about how some passengers on the plane that landed in the Hudson river got in trouble with loved ones for tweeting about the accident before they called them to say they were ok. 

Mike and I agreed that was poor form but then something else happened; I'll never forget the wistful, almost faraway look that came over my spiritual friend's face as he said: "'wow, my plane just crash-landed in the Hudson'... That's a pretty kick-ass tweet, you have to admit."

In any case, this picture just reminded me of that conversation and I figured we could use a laugh today.

Oh by the way, I'm blogging again.