Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Stepping back, going forward.

Last week the rain and wind led us to the door of an office in the back corner of a small mall with an overhang that sheltered us from the pouring rain. There we had an unlikely introduction that...(long ponderous pause)...changed the world as I know it. The business that took us in from the rain, Central Energy, happens to sponsor several charitable organizations. After hearing our story of walking in dozens of states across America over thousands of miles to promote diabetes prevention and control they offered to include our cause to their list. World Guy Foundation has now been added to the short list of recommended charities that goes out to a long list. If I added up all the people I have talked to, face to face, about walking ...this list is bigger. If ten percent of those on that list thought about walking and ten percent of those actually began walking. Then, over time, if ten percent of those saw a positive difference in their world and continued walking as a means to stay healthy it would be a good thing... I met a ninety one year old man this weekend who walked everyday. He was the happiest person I had met since the last old man I met who walked everyday... It is possible that one of those on that list, who took the first step, could be walking on a crowded sidewalk at the end of the century remembering that click on a keyboard attached by wire to one of those relics of the past, a computer where they saw a dog named Nice, a ball painted like the world and a guy with a message. Recalling the day back in '13 when they began enjoying a walk everyday. Stranger things have happened.
Back to reality...
On Wednesday Nice (the dog) began to favor his rear leg. We rested two days at the plaza where some good folks insisted we stay before heading south from Spring Hill. Over the weekend Nice (the dog) seemed fine while we walked but, at the end of each day, after he relaxed and "cooled down", he limped badly keeping his leg off the ground. We had walked to Tarpon Springs by Sunday, just a few days walk from Tampa. There I decided to take a step back for Nice's wellbeing. I deflated the world and returned to Spring Hill where Monday morning I took Nice to get checked at the veterinarian, West Side Animal Clinic . An ex-ray showed he has a spur in his knee joint. Two weeks of rest was recommended. We have returned to the plaza in Spring Hill where the ladies at Central Energy have set him up a pile of cushions with blankets and adopted him as their temporary office dog. The merchants here at UHL Plaza ( 120-158 Commercial Way, Spring Hill ) have organized a fundraising event for this Saturday at Michaels' Bistro. David K. Smith Signs is making signage and the Tampa Bay Times has been out to cover the story. If the forces of nature coax you to a place you may have passed by or an injury slows your roll there is a positive sure to reveal itself.

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