Friday, July 2, 2010

Inspirations and the "Friendly City"

Image courtesy MICHAEL PHILLIPS
Still heading westward we walked yesterday through Athol where we had a delicious lunch before we headed into Orange, "The Friendly City", where we were soon met by J.K., who had read about our walk in the local paper. He invited us to his home last evening and his hospitality, help, and conversation is proof that Orange is true to it's title: "Friendly".
We made it to the edge of town and were treated to "frappes" as Nice (the dog) enjoyed a double scooped ice cream cone from the hand of the woman at "Ser-and-dipitties" (I'm sure I've spelled the name wrong). Nice gently ate the cone frome her "friendly" hand and was soo cute I had to take a picture. We walked on and were passing Annie's when a call came over the P. A., "Would you like some Ice cream and water?" We could not resist the "friendly" offer. Finally, we made it into the "friendly city" center where we met the local police who had gotten the call of an earth rolling into Orange. Doing his job, he collected our IDs, but the "friendly" locals who were surrounding us by then prompted him to just write our info in his notebook without calling it in just then. The mob of shame kept him from it. One of those moments that I will remember for a long time.
This morning my sister delivered the new core for the World (the 35 year old ball's inner tube is failing) and we are taking time to rest this morning before we head away from this colorful and "friendly" city.
I have met a few wonderfully inspirational individuals over the past days who give me hope that these walks can do some good for those -like myself- who need some inspiration. As I stopped at a breakfast diner in Westminster, I was talking to a grandfather who was eating with his young granddaughter about how those with diabetes can control it, life long, and be around for their grandkids. He knocked on his prostetic leg and agreed. He was diabetic and had neglected a blister but did not let even the loss of his leg dampen his joy. He was obviously having fun with his young relative. I was inspired by this man's great attitude despite diabetes. Inspirational!
In Athol, I met a skinny man who came up with his son to ask what we were doing, and he shared that he had once suffered from pancreatitis (I can't spell) and was in a diabetic coma for over a week. He then was insulin dependent, but after loosing 100 pounds was now free of taking insulin and looked to me to be "fit as a fiddle." I was inspired!
As we stopped in front of the Athol historical society building and were being interviewed by a local news reporter, a woman who lived next door walked up for a picture and, upon hearing our story, agreed that walking can change things for the better. She had lost over seventy pounds and in my opinion was "stunningly beautiful." I would never have guessed she had topped out at 200 pounds. I was inspired!
This afternoon I am going to take inventory of my assets, walk off some of the ice cream I could not pass by yesterday, and find more people stronger than me to show me I can get fit and lose this fluff... thus keeping diabetes away.

Happy holiday weekend, New England!!!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is great you guys are rasing money for the diabetes awareness, but we see the dog going along with you and it is pretty hot out there, I am sure the dog would love to go for walks (shorter) in much cooler weather. Why not keep the dog at home under a nice cool tree with plenty of water.

Anonymous said...

I saw you on the road in Northfield!! I just wanted to say thanks!! If I had seen you on the other side of the mountain in Erving I would have loved to feed you your dog and son! Thank you! People begin to think or may change how they think when they meet people like you! Safe trip! Be well! :0)