Gratitude Monday: You just have to go

Once again, I am grateful for being able to participate in the Walk MS event held in a park in Los Gatos. I did it last year for the first time, and felt such a surge of gratitude that I knew I had to repeat it again this year, even though it meant dropping out of a Python class that I’m pretty interested in.

There were more than 1300 walkers this year, and I understand that they raised somewhere in the area of $250,000 for MS research. My contribution to that total was minimal, but it still felt good to make that commitment.

I did it completely on my own this year—didn’t see my walking partner of last time: Ron, the insurance guy. But then, there were 1300+ people there, so… Instead I plugged myself into my gym mix and sang along with Springsteen, Martina McBride, Bonnie Raitt and the Stones.

Look—I was moving at a good clip, and I’m unlikely to run into anyone who heard me. If I do, they won't recognize me in my non-walking clothes.

A couple of nice things for me: as I’d headed out with the first wave of walkers, I passed masses of dawdlers on my way back. Twice I got high-fived, which is a first. But, hey—who doesn’t like being high-fived when you’ve got “Baby, You Can Drive My Car” in your ears and you’re in the groove?

But also, this year the volunteers had made motivational posters and put them up along a stretch of chain-link fence. And I loved them.

I’m guessing that many of them were done by the high school kids who manned the water-and-snacks stands, and who applauded as you passed them. 

Let me just say that someone gets points for the appropriate contraction for “you are”.

The thing about these events is that I never see anyone looking anything but energetic and enthusiastic, even though there are many there who are in varying stages of MS. You cannot believe what a mood-lifter participating in this is, and I’m very grateful for that.

The high school kids lined up at the finish, to cheer us in like we were marathoners, and to give us our little medals, which I, for one, wore the rest of the day.

I am also deeply grateful for the fact that I can walk, under my own power, and that I look forward to being able to do so for some time to come. I am truly fortunate, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do something that may help those who don’t look forward to this kind of freedom.