May
[New Insert Image Comic] Lunch With Donald Miller
JP makes lunch plans with his literary hero, Donald Miller. Hilarity ensues.
May
Inspiration From My Dad
My dad is an inspiring guy. Always has been. Even though his passions are different from mine - he’s an athlete and I’m an artist - I’ve always been inspired by his tenacity. So inspired that I’ve taken his mindset toward exercise and applied it toward my art.
A few years ago, my dad started a Facebook page called “Fun-N-Fitness” where he posts his workouts and inspiring thoughts. He has no goals for social networking other than to connect with other exercise-freaks, and he’s accumulated a pretty loyal following. The other day, he posted some really wise words on the page and I want to share them with you here. I hope you are as inspired by my dad as I am.
I’m a 53 year old man. I have always been the athletic type. I played football, basketball and ran track back in my school days. I married my high school sweetheart at the age of 18 in 1979. I had a son in 1980 and a daughter in 1982. I never quit exercising but I did quit competing for a long long long time. I had a blast blast blast watching my children grow up and become awesome people.
All of a sudden it’s 2009 and my babies are gone, I’m 49 and about to turn 50 and I’m thinking that I still have some game left in me, so I start signing up for 5K events and find that [I] do have some game left. Now I’m thinking since I ride my bike to and fro[m] work that I may be a triathlete waiting to happen. I sign up for a “sprint” triathlon at a lake not too far from home. I spend numerous mornings before work going to my ymca to swim laps.
Here is where the fun stops for me.
I thought that I was becoming a pretty good swimmer but found out real quick that I was not a good swimmer. That open water swimming with hundreds of other people swimming over top of you is a real eye opener! I thought I was going to drown on my very first triathlon, really, no joke here. The thing is, I was the next to last slowest time in the water overall of hundreds of people. I had the fastest bike in my age group and top 20 overall, fourth in the run in my age group but I was too far behind to make up my water time.
Next stop Duathlon!
Now I got game! Run, Ride, Run, I love this event. It’s awesome and I love it.
My message here is that ya have to find your fun. I know that there are a bunch of folks out there that are my age or older that were quite good athletes but think that their days of competition are over. It doesn’t have to be! You can do this, you just have to recall the athlete in you. If you are a young person on Fun-N-Fitness and have parents that were athletic or not, encourage them to make the effort. Hell, tell them to follow F-N-F where the old get younger! Hahahahaha, I like that! I just made that up! Get your game on people, find your fire. Most importantly……Find Your FUN!
Guys, I know this is cliche, but it’s NEVER too late to pursue your passions. Whether you’re an athlete or an artist or a writer or a musician - WHATEVER - you’re days aren’t numbered. There’s still time. If my dad’s words above don’t prove it to you, then how about this: my 53-year-old father and my 76-year-old grandfather rode 100 miles on their bicycles (Columbus, OH to Portsmouth, OH) the day before Mother’s Day. Took them ten hours.
It’s never too late.
May
[Think Christian] Bangladesh: The High Cost Of Our Low Standards
Man. This post hit me right between the eyes.
May
Love this woman’s voice. Love the covers the band plays in this van. Great cover of Band on the Run.
May
Yo Mama Battle (Of Compliments)
May
[Prodigal Magazine] Why I Couldn’t Get Undressed On My Wedding Night
I love everything Emily writes.
May
[New Insert Image Comic] Christian Mingle
The theme song for Christian Mingle is used completely out of context. JP decides to visit the company’s headquarters and call them to the carpet.
May
[Jon Acuff] Nicholas Sparks Doesn't Want You To Quit Your Day Job
Great blog post.
May
One of my favorite video games on the NES is being remastered. So rad!
May
Do I want to see this movie? Yes. Yes, I do.
