Wake Up!

The following is based on a true story.

Via

"Wake up!" the alarm on my phone screamed at me during the wee hours of the morning. Okay, it didn't actually scream, "Wake up!" It just made a really loud and obnoxious ringing sound. It's amazing how similar they can make it sound to an old school alarm clock.

I jumped out of bed and turned off the alarm. No, that's not the truth. I rolled, reluctantly, out of the bed. Then I turned off the alarm. 3am. Why on earth would I set my alarm for 3am? I'm sure that's what you're asking. I can't actually hear you asking the question, I'm just assuming.

Last night was prom night in Blacksburg. And that meant that the after prom party was held at the high school. The high school, by the way, is where my church meets on Sunday mornings. So there was much work to be done in order to clean up the school and get it prepared for worship services which would begin at 8:30.

When the after prom was over at 4am, the after after prom committee gathered. We moved tables and chairs, took down banners, swept up glitter. So much glitter. It was so very early.

The rest of the morning went off without a hitch. We were done cleaning a little before 5. So I headed back to Radford because I had a couple hours to kill before I needed to be back at the school to help set up for church. I was productive with my time. I got my grocery shopping done. You'd be surprised how many people aren't at Wal-Mart at 5am. It was glorious.

I was back at the high school by 7. I helped with the set up process, making sure everything was ready for folks to start arriving. I stayed for the early worship service, then I headed back to my apartment again. I had every intention of staying awake and getting stuff done. But then I fell asleep.

Before I fell into my nap, I had the presence of mind to set my alarm for the afternoon. See, I had to go back to Blacksburg (for the 3rd time in one day) for my very first members meeting at church. I officially joined up last month. So I really didn't want to miss out on hearing exactly what is going on in the life of my church. I remember going to business meetings as a kid and walking away feeling like humanity was lost. I didn't get that feeling today. I freakin' love my church.

So yeah, I dealt with my phone yelling at me again. "Wake up!" This time it was 3pm. Not as ridiculous as the morning counterpart. But it's kind of been a long day. It's been a good day. But it's been a long one.

The Single Guy and the Conditioner

The Single Guy has a soft spot for hairdressers. He kind of always has.

There was the girl that cut his hair in college. This is the one that he insisted looked exactly like Sarah Michelle Gellar, so he would visit her at the mall and pay nearly twice as much as he could have paid the ancient barber with the tremor in is trimming hand.

Then there was the girl that worked at the place inside the Wal-Mart. The Single Guy isn't necessarily a fan of getting his hair cut at the Wal-Mart. Actually, the Single Guy isn't necessarily a fan of getting anything at the Wal-Mart. But the price of the haircut was kind of cheap and the girl that cut the hair a few times was kind of cute. He figured it was worth it.

And, of course, there was the Girl in the White SUV. Not that she ever actually cut the Single Guy's hair. She was one of those high end hairdressers. He worked in one of those expensive hair salons that catered to people in downtown Raleigh. The Single Guy tried once to get an appointment with her, just to convince her to run her fingers through his hair, but it was not meant to be. Totally would have been worth the $60 for a simple trim.

The Single Guy has had a much better time of controlling his crushes these days. Maybe he's matured. But it seems easier for him to just go into a hair-cutting-joint and not just decide that a girl is cute because she massages his scalp. More often than not, he's successful in not developing a crush. He's more talkative these days, so he's usually able to talk to these girls to either realize they have a significant other in their lives or their personalities just would not mesh with his. This helps.

About a month ago, however, he kind of got talked into doing something that he didn't necessarily want to do. The Single Guy has a regular place that he likes to go to get his hair cut. It's a chain that had a location in Wake Forest when he lived down there. Since moving to the New River Valley, he's been pleased to find that there's a location in Blacksburg as well. So that's where he's been going.

Part of the draw isn't just the price that he has to pay. It's the shampoo that they use. Upon finishing with the haircut, the stylist will escort the Single Guy to the back room where there are a few sinks lined up. He's seated in a chair that has a footrest and a massage feature. He leans his head back into the sink and the girl lathers up the most amazing smelling shampoo one could ever hope to experience. It smells like Christmas.

By "it smells like Christmas," what's really meant is that it smells like peppermint. It's a very soothing aroma. And it kind of tingles on the scalp. In a good way. The stylist will not just wash the hair, she'll massage the scalp as well. It's quite relaxing. The Single Guy has threatened to fall asleep on more than one occasion.

Anyway, on that last visit, the girl who cut the Single Guy's hair was kind of cute. He had no desire to ask her out or anything crazy like that, but that doesn't mean she didn't hold some kind of almost irrational influence over his wallet. The Single Guy's first mistake was mentioning how much he loved the smell of the shampoo. Of course, when she asked if he had any at home, he couldn't lie. So he told her that he didn't have any at this time.

Ladies and gentlemen of the blogosphere, this shampoo is not cheap. There are bound to be more expensive shampoos out there, but when the Single Guy is used to buying the cheap stuff at the Wal-Mart, the real stuff can pinch the old bank account. So she went on and on about how great the shampoo was. And how great the conditioner was, as well. And how that particular shampoo was on sale that day. And it would be totally worth it to spend $45 on gigantic bottles of shampoo and conditioner. It was a package deal.

Now, the Single Guy doesn't typically do conditioner, unless it's a 2-in-1 kind of thing. You know, you just have the one bottle and the conditioner is magically mixed in with the shampoo. He has a really hard time understanding what the point of conditioner is. But, since he spent so much money on the package deal, he felt that he should give this hair tonic a try. A month later, he's still not sure what kind of difference the stuff has made in his hair.

Today, it became a moo point. Because the Single Guy decided to get rid of all his hair. The reasons are several. The most pressing reason is that he couldn't afford to get a real haircut and he could shave his head for free. So now he has this huge bottle of conditioner and no hair to condition. On the plus side, he still smells like Christmas when he gets out of the shower.

75 Super Years

75 years ago today, Action Comics #1 hit newsstands, introducing the world to the world's greatest superhero. His origin has been altered a number of times over the years, but he remains a survivor from the doomed planet Krypton. Kal-El was sent here as an infant by his father, Jor-El, who knew that he would grow on Earth to have powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Along with the changes to his history, his power set has changed a bit as well. At first, he was unable to fly. But he was able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. To celebrate Superman's 75th birthday, here's the latest trailer for the latest film incarnation of the Man of Steel. The movie title? Man of Steel.

Becoming Invisible

I think I'm phasing out of existence. Maybe not out of existence. Maybe I'm just phasing out of the visible spectrum. I've been having a lot of trouble lately with automatic sliding doors.

I'm sure you know the ones I'm talking about. You go to the grocery store and you don't have to do any work to walk inside. The door just opens for you. It senses your presence and welcomes you inside. I'd like to say these doors have only ignored me on one occasion, but once would be a blessing. It's happening more and more lately.

I've lost count of how many times I've nearly run into the door at Wal-Mart. That would be incredibly embarrassing if it were to happen. I'm just walking, trying to exit the store. I'm not running toward the door. I'm just walking. I'm sure I'm walking faster than the average Wal-Mart shopper, but I'm fairly certain I'm walking at an average pace for a human being. I force myself to stop within an inch of slamming into the glass. Then I have to wait for roughly a second before the door decides to slide open.

If it was just at Wal-Mart, I probably wouldn't be too concerned. I could just assume they have a faulty mechanism. Although I have seen the door open for other customers without hesitation. A couple weeks ago, it happened to me at Best Buy. The only logical explanation? I'm turning invisible. Or maybe I'm putting off some kind of electromagnetic field that acts as interference for motion sensors. If that's the case, I obviously have super powers.

I'm sure that, by posting this little story, I leave myself open to ridicule. People will accuse me of the same kind of idiocy that I often saw in customers of the bank where I worked in Raleigh. It's been a long time since I wrote about it, but on a daily basis, people would come into the bank by manually pulling the door open, then they would forget that they had to do the work to get out. Somewhere in the span of 5 to 10 minutes while they made their deposits, they forgot that our front door wasn't automatic.

I can promise you that I'm not making that kind of mistake. The doors that are not opening for me are genuinely automatic doors. I almost caused someone to run into me when I stopped in front of an automatic door at the grocery store the other day. It's becoming problematic.

Sadly, the only scenario in which I can think of this new super power becoming of value is if I use my power for evil. If I'm not being picked up by motion sensors, that means I could make a pretty decent cat burglar. I'm not saying that's a path I want to go down at this juncture. I'm just putting it out there as a possibility. What else is the invisible man good for?

The Single Guy Versus the Fifth Grader

Before he began attending the church he currently attends, the Single Guy had not had the opportunity to participate in many service projects. Actually, it wasn't that the opportunities weren't there. He simply didn't embrace them. The last time the Single Guy had a genuine desire to help out in his community was way back during the college years. And since he graduated from college 10 years ago, well, one can assume it's been a long time since he's plugged in and acted the part of the servant.

Last week, the Single Guy was given the chance to help out at a local food pantry. There wasn't much involved. He went in and helped families in need as they perused the shelves, seeking the groceries they needed to make it through the next few weeks. For the Single Guy, who has never truly been in a position where he was unable to provide his own basic needs, it was a very humbling thing to be a part of.

That evening, he served alongside three other volunteers. One was a girl that the Single Guy knows from church. Another was a Virginia Tech grad student who is in the same program as the girl from church. The other was a boy in the fifth grade. And that kid was all kinds of awesome.

First of all, he's 11 years old. When the Single Guy was 11, he wouldn't have even thought about giving up an afternoon to help the people in his community to find the groceries they needed to get by. This kid is there every Monday with a smile on his face, ready to serve in whatever way that he can.

Now let's focus on the fact that the Fifth Grader is wise beyond his years. Things were slow at the food pantry compared to other evenings. Or so the Single Guy was told. After a while, things came to a standstill, so the volunteers had nothing but time on their hands. So they sat around talking. The Fifth Grader was ready to talk about food, life, love, politics. Scratch that, he didn't want to talk about politics. In a very adult manner, he stated that talking about politics made him upset.

But, wait, he was able to talk about love? Yeah, this is the part where the Single Guy realized that he may not be smarter than a Fifth Grader.

It had not started as a conversation in which the Single Guy was seeking advice from the youngling. They were just sitting around, shooting the breeze. The girl from church had asked the Single Guy about his day and he went on to explain an awkward situation involving a girl and another girl. Nothing too crazy, but slightly awkward nonetheless. The details are inconsequential. Just imagine your basic episode of Three's Company and you've got your awkward.

The Single Guy did need to explain the details to the Fifth Grader, however, because he wasn't alive when Three's Company was a thing. He didn't even know Three's Company was ever a thing. But the Fifth Grader pondered the situation. He thought about it. He went outside for a bit to enjoy the beautiful afternoon weather. Then he came back inside to dispense his advice.

He told the Single Guy, in relation to his situation, to basically play it cool. He didn't use these words, but to sum up, don't change the status quo. But, he also advised, don't get stuck in the friends' zone. Hold up, Fifth Grader, how do you know of the legendary "friends' zone"?

"Everyone knows about the friends' zone," he said matter-of-factly.

The Single Guy couldn't help but laugh a little. Throughout his life, he'd been stuck in the friends' zone at least half a dozen times. He'd been placed there by a number of women who considered him to be a really good friend. Or worse, like a brother. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. The Single Guy likes to consider himself a good friend. But these days, when he meets an attractive woman that he might be interested in, he doesn't want to be friends. As far as he's concerned, he's got enough friends.

The conversation flowed normally after that. Soon, the Fifth Grader had to go because his mother came to pick him up. Before he walked out of the building, he turned back to the Single Guy and again stated, "Get out of the friends' zone!"

So to all the other single folks out there, pay attention to this kid. He kind of knows what he's talking about. It wasn't long after that evening when the Single Guy saw something online that said, "The only reason guys get stuck in the friends' zone is because they never ask the girl out in the first place." That's not always the case, but more often than not, it probably is. Guys tend to let the women they're attracted to intimidate them into staying silent. Those women aren't trying to intimidate these guys and it's likely they don't even know they have that kind of effect on them. Okay, they probably know. And not all guys are intimidated. But a lot of the nice ones are. So, nice guys, stop being intimidated. That is all.

Question of the Week: Message

Via

If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be?

Never say that you can't do something. Especially if you've never tried. A year ago, I wouldn't have dared to imagine that I would have run in a 10k race. And if someone had told me I would not only finish, but do so in under 2 hours, I'd have laughed at them. Now that it's done, I kind of feel like I can accomplish anything as long as I'm willing to put forth the required effort. Everyone is capable of so much more than they give themselves credit for. They just have this tendency to allow fear and doubt to block their paths.

The Apology

Via

It was a beautiful afternoon. The kind of day that kids daydream about when they're stuck inside a school listening to their teachers drone on and on about World War II or the Pythagorean Theorem. Christopher had been waiting all week for Saturday to get here and he had been praying just as long for a warm, sunny day. He could hardly believe it, but he got exactly what he wanted.

He woke earlier than any 13 year old should on a Saturday morning. But he was excited. He had paid close attention to the weather forecast while his dad watched the evening news. Clear skies and a high of 72. Perfect weather for some baseball with the other guys in the neighborhood. It took just about all that he had to resist the impulse to run out the door and hop on his bike as soon as his eyes shot open. He stopped himself, though. None of the other kids would be at the empty lot at 7:30 in the morning. So he waited.

In the meantime, he decided he could use a decent breakfast. Well, as long as blueberry Pop-Tarts can be considered decent. His folks weren't up yet and he still wasn't, technically, allowed to use the stove unsupervised. No bacon and eggs for Christopher this morning. By the time he finished eating it was nearly 8. Still too early.

Chris flopped down on the sofa in the living room and turned on the TV. Not that there would be anything good on. He flipped through all the cable channels three times before giving up and turning the television back off. He peeked out the curtain of the front window and sighed. He wanted to go out so badly. But it was still too early. Besides, he had to at least wait for one of his parents to come downstairs. He couldn't just leave the house without telling them where he was going.

8:27. He finally heard someone moving around in his parents' bedroom. Of the two possibilities, the footsteps sounded lighter. Must be mom, he thought. A moment later he could see the bottom of his mother's bathrobe as she descended the stairs.

"Mom, can I go play ball with the guys?" he asked before his mother even got to the bottom step.

She tried to stifle a yawn, which really didn't work. "Isn't it a little early for baseball?" she asked.

Christopher rolled his eyes. As far as he was concerned, it was never too early for baseball. The sun was shining. As long as he could see the ball, he could play the game. "It's 8:30! I've already eaten breakfast. I promise I'll take a break and come back for lunch. Please?"

"Okay." His mother was barely able to say both syllables before he hugged her and thanked her and ran out the door.

Chris stopped by the garage to pick up his bat, glove and a ball. He wasn't sure who else would be out at the empty lot or if they would have thought to bring anything with them. He honestly didn't care if no one was there yet. He would be perfectly content running the bases alone, imagining that he had just knocked one out of the park at Fenway.

He rode his bike about as fast as he could. He could have gone faster, but he didn't want to overexert himself before he got a chance to play a game. Chris arrived at the lot and saw that he was the first one there. He surveyed the ground before him. It wasn't very well kept. Grass growing sporadically here and there. Rocks and gravel made for interesting obstacles throughout the dirt. They had tried to clean up all the broken bottles and empty cans, but he could see that they missed a few. Or there were a few new ones. It's not like cops came by here on a regular basis to enforce litter laws.

He dropped his glove on the ground near the road. Then he walked over to home plate with his bat and ball in hand. He tossed the ball into the air and took a swing. Miss. Wake up, Chris! He tried again. This time he connected.

He hit the ball a lot harder than he had intended to. The baseball from his garage sailed past what the kids considered to be outfield. It flew over the privacy fence that acted as the boundary of Old Lady McGee's property. And that's when he heard the sound of glass shattering. Before he could blink, he was back on his bike, pedaling as if his life depended on it.

Chris got home, threw his bike to the ground, then ran inside, slamming the front door behind him. "You weren't gone long!" he heard his mother call out from the kitchen. He was breathing heavily. He was scared. He'd just broken the window of one of the meanest old ladies in town. Then his heart dropped. He suddenly forgot how to breathe and all the blood in his body drained down to his feet. To his horror, he realized he left his glove lying on the ground. The baseball glove that had his name and address written on the inside with a black Sharpie.

His mother came around the corner, still in her bathrobe. "Are you okay?" she asked, suddenly concerned when she saw how pale her son was.

"What?" Chris asked, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. No one was there, so I decided to wait here for a while before I go back." She won't buy it, he thought.

"Are you sure you're feeling all right? You look like you're gonna be sick."

Chris let out a nervous laugh. "No, really, I'm fine. I just rode my bike really fast to get back here. I got chased by a dog that got loose." She won't buy it, he thought again.

"Mmmhmm..." His mom turned to go back to the kitchen.

He let out a sigh of relief. She bought it. "I'm gonna go up and play a video game to kill time," he said as he took the stairs.

Chris turned on his Wii and had barely begun a game of Super Mario Bros. when he heard the doorbell. A few seconds later, he heard his father say, "I'll get it!" before hearing him walk down the stairs.

He dared to open his bedroom door, just a crack. He couldn't hear what was going on, and from that angle, he certainly couldn't see who was on their front porch. And then his dad called his name.

Busted. Slowly, as if he were walking the Green Mile, Chris made his way down the stairs. Sure enough, standing in their doorway was Old Lady McGee. She was holding Chris' bat and glove in her hands. His dad was holding his baseball.

"Chris," his father began sternly, "I believe you owe Mrs. McGee an apology. And a new window."

14,683 Monumental Steps

The goal was to finish the Monument Avenue 10k in 2 hours. Was I able to do it? The answer is... You know what? I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's take a step back for a second.

This whole running thing is kind of new to me. I decided to start running back in September of last year and as soon as I started, I began to question what I'd gotten myself into. I had never been a runner. I was never much of an athlete as a kid or as a teenager. But back in the fall I decided it was time to start making an effort toward being healthier. Running seemed like the most logical way to get moving with that. I knew it would be difficult, but I was sure it would be worth it.

I set a goal for myself to run in a 5k race at some point in 2013. After running throughout the fall and winter, I figured I was on my way to accomplishing that goal. I just needed to find a good 5k and register. I even talked Mark and Brandon into joining me. Well, time went by and finding a nearby 5k was becoming a challenge.

One day in January I got a call from Mark. He asked me how I'd feel about going to Richmond in April to do the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k. I took a deep breath. 10k? I thought, That's twice as much as I've been training for... Could I even be ready for that thing by then? Needless to say, I was nervous. But I figured if I was running the race with two of my best friends, it wouldn't be that bad.

So the months went by and I kept pushing myself in an attempt to get ready for the 10k. While the weather was cold and the mornings were dark, I decided to make use of the treadmills provided by my apartment complex. I was feeling good. I reached a point where I was able to run a full mile without slowing to a walk for the first time in my life. I mean, I was the kid who would walk the mile in elementary school during the annual physical fitness test. I don't think I ever finished that thing in less than 20 minutes. I wasn't sprinting, mind you, but my jog wasn't exactly a snail's pace.

After reaching that milestone, a week later, I was able to run a full 2 miles before slowing down. I was feeling really good. Then, a couple weeks ago, Mark dropped the bomb that he might have to drop out of the race. Apparently there was some work thing that had come up and he would not be able to get out of it. Was that really it? Or was it that he had been talking a lot of smack to me and Brandon and had not been training even a little bit, so he decided he couldn't back the smack talk? Okay, I'm sure he really did have career commitments that he couldn't get out of. Just seems a little fishy to me...

But that didn't deter me. Brandon was still in this thing. And even if something happened to pull him out of the race, I wasn't going to back out. I was excited. I might not have been fully ready in a physical sense, but my mind was set on crossing that finish line, no matter what.

Last week, the weather finally got really nice. Like, ridiculously nice. Cloudless skies, cool breezes, moderate temperatures. It was phenomenal. So, last Saturday, I decided to take advantage of the pathway that runs next to the New River. It's right across the road from my apartment, why not? I ran from my apartment to the far end of Bissett Park and back again. Well, on the way back I walked/ran. But I felt good. I felt that I needed to push myself a little because the 10k was only a week away and I'd never gone that far at one time before. Last Saturday's run got me to 3.9 miles in just under an hour.

Then something strange happened. The next day I was in tremendous pain. I wrote it off as just aches from having pushed myself harder than I was used to the previous day. But, on Monday, my shins began hurting. A lot. I started to wonder if I was dealing with the legendary shin splints that I've heard so many people talk about in the past. I remember seeing volleyball and soccer players during college coming into the dining hall after practices with ice packs taped to their shins. I couldn't figure out why I would suddenly get this pain now, less than a week from race day, when I hadn't experienced it at all in the last six months.

Well, there are probably several contributing factors. My shoes are awful. I don't have shoes that are designed specifically for running. And they're kind of old. They've gotten the job done, but apparently not well enough. Then there's the fact that I switched from treadmill to asphalt kind of suddenly. I'm sure my body wasn't prepared for that surface change. Also, I'm sure I haven't been stretching properly before or after my runs on a consistent basis. I should really start doing that.

But I wasn't going to let this deter me either. I ran again Tuesday evening, but wasn't able to go as far as I had Saturday. And the pain was a little worse. So I decided then to just rest until the 10k. And rest is what I did.

That brings us to today. Race day. All week I had been more excited than anything else. I was ready to do this. I'd been telling myself that I only wanted to run the first half, that my true goal for this moment of my life was to run a 5k. If I had to walk the second half, so be it. I wanted to finish 5k in an hour. I wanted to finish 10k in 2. I had no lofty aspirations for setting or breaking records, except maybe my own personal records. And, since this was my first ever 10k race, the bar was set pretty low.

Brandon and I stood among the crowd of run/walkers and waited for the announcer to send our group over the starting line. And we were off. Brandon took off at a good pace as soon as he was able. I was still stuck amongst the walkers for a bit. Then I found an opening and took off after him. I stayed behind him for a good while, then overtook him for about 30 seconds. It felt good, considering he's been running for several years now. But that lead didn't last for me. I kept up with him for a while longer, but then began to slow slightly.

I was able to keep up a good run/jog for about the first mile. Then the pain in my legs began to get to me. So I slowed down. I walked pretty briskly, but it was still a walk. So much for running the first 5k, right? Oh well, I could still make good time and I could still hit my goals. So I pushed. I would run for a while, then walk for a while, then run a little more, then slow back down. On average, I probably ran about half a mile for every mile of the race.

At the halfway point, my phone began to die. This was a bad thing for me because 1) I was tracking my run with the Nike+ app and 2) I was listening to my running/get psyched mix through the phone. Now, I won't say I was too upset about losing the Nike+ app. My phone has degraded into a near worthless piece of junk that does very few things accurately. Needless to say, it does not keep up with my run accurately. At all. Today, it told me that I completed my first mile in 5 minutes, 13 seconds. The thing thought that I had finished 3 miles just after I passed the real world 1 mile marker. Piece of junk. But I did miss the music during that second half.

Before I turned the phone off to save what was left of the battery, I was able to see that I had actually been going for nearly 45 minutes. That told me that I had beaten my goal of an hour long 5k! I was pretty excited about that news. That gave me a second wind and inspired me to push a little harder than I had for the previous mile or so. So I ran again.

Now I was without music blasting in my ears. This turned out to be a good thing. This gave me the opportunity to hear the people on the sidelines. There were hundreds... thousands of folks yelling and cheering as the runners and walkers made their way down Monument Avenue. The energy was incredible. And it only helped to get my adrenaline pumping even more, inspiring me to run even harder. People were waving signs and clapping and whistling as I ran past them. They didn't know who I was, but they were proud of me anyway. And even though they were cheering for the tens of thousands of other runners, too, it felt like they were cheering just for me. Especially when I heard anyone say, "Way to go, Superman!"

Soon I came upon the marker that let me know I had gone 6 miles. That meant I was really close to the finish. At that point, I didn't care how tired I was or how much my legs ached. I just ran. I pushed myself all the way to the finish line. I crossed, feeling more alive than I've felt in a long time. And, believe it or not, I probably could have kept going, I was that pumped.

Now that it's been over for a while, I've been able to look online to see the official race results. Are you ready for it? Drum roll, please...

• 5k - 47:16
• 10k - 1:36:20

I beat the goals that I had set for myself. Finishing this race alone was worth putting the time and effort into training. But finishing better than I thought I was capable of? Feels even better.

So now that I've accomplished this goal, does that mean I'll stop running?

It's not over. I will take a break for a bit. Probably a couple weeks. I definitely want to get some new shoes before I start running again, but they're expensive, so I may have to wait a bit. But I want to keep going. I want to set new goals and keep pushing myself. This Thanksgiving, I want to run in the Drumstick Dash in Roanoke. I walked it a couple years ago, this time I want to run it. It's a 5k, so I'm hoping I'll be able to crush it by the time November rolls around.

Next year, I want to do the Monument Avenue race again. But next time, I want to do it in an hour. I don't see why that can't be done. The year after that, I want to find a half marathon. Depending on how I do with the half, maybe someday I'll do a full marathon. I honestly can't wrap my head around that at this moment, but it's out there and it's a possibility. Until then, I'll have these 2 races to keep getting ready for. Who's with me?

Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot this... By far, the funniest inspirational sign I saw today said, "Keep Going! Keep Going! (That's what she said...)" Definitely got me laughing on the run.

*The number represented in this post's title is an estimated guess as to how many steps I actually took during the 10k. I did not actually count my steps.

Remembering Bluefield: Sarah McCloud Clevenger

Welcome to another thrilling installment of Remembering Bluefield! This week we focus on one of the most musically gifted women I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Most of you know her as Sarah Clevenger. The Rams of the turn of the century knew her as Sarah McCloud. And so, without further ado...

Name:
Sarah McCloud Clevenger

What year did you graduate?
2003

What degree did you earn?
B.A. in Christian Studies - Ministry focus and a minor in Vocal Music

What drew you to Bluefield College?
It was semi-close to home, but far enough away for me to get my "wings". Plus, I loved the size and the Christian atmosphere was a huge plus! :-)

What kept you there?
I loved the new friends that I made, the size of the classes, the wonderful professors, and all the opportunities for growth not just academically, but spiritually as well!

Is there a class that changed your life? If so, what?
I don't know if there was an exact class that changed my life, but there were several of my Christian studies classes that truly helped me solidify my beliefs and faith with ways to help me grow as a Christian while also sharing the love of Christ with others in a meaningful way!

What teacher had the biggest impact on you? Why?
There were SEVERAL amazing professors that I will never forget and many that impacted my life in wonderful ways! Two that really stand out to me are Dr. Eddie Stepp and Mr. Sheppard! They both showed me how to truly reach out and minister to those around me and helped me realize the gifts that I have and how to use them more effectively! :-D I truly loved working with Dr. Lyle, Mr. Mosley, Mrs. Castillo, Charles and Rebecca Reese, and several others as well! :-D

Did you live on campus or commute?
I lived on campus for four years and off for one year which was interesting, cause I didn't have my own car...LOL It was an interesting and fun experience, but I enjoyed living on campus much better! :-P

Who were your roommates?
I had several! My first year were Amanda Jarvis and Carrie Rae Peters, then there was my year off campus with Sarah French, Stephanie Cox, and Kristy Thompson (SOO much fun!) and we had a CRAAAAZY old neighbor...wow... that was an interesting year... LOL, and then I was suite-mates with Stephanie Ball for my last two years and me, her, and Kita were usually stuck together like glue most days! haha

Share an epic roommate story (if you have one).
Goodness, there were SO many! lol Mmmm, I'd have to go with the year I lived off campus and we had that CRAZY neighbor! "Junior"....LOL He would spray leaves off his car EVERY morning and would constantly come knock on our door and request that we turn up the heat. (He lived with his elderly mother, who by all accounts I was in awe that she was still alive...!! haha And for some reason, our houses were "joined" and the controls for the heat were located on our side). I swear we would have it set to like 80 degrees and have the windows open in the dead of winter just to be able to breathe and he would STILL come knock on our doors and make us turn the heat up! One night at like MIDNIGHT, he began knocking on the door and I was by myself. I just ignored him like I usually do, but he persisted to knock on the front door, kitchen wall, etc....Then it happened..the DOOR KNOB began moving..I was like "REALLY??, Jeez, he's persistent tonight...", and I ran up the staircase freaking out and just peered around the corner watching the doorknob jiggling back and forth... I was just about to call the cops (yes I was very freaked out) when I heard a male's voice saying "Maintenance, Maintenance!" Apparently our lovely neighbor Junior had called someone with maintenance and they had to come and confirm that our heat was indeed turned up to 80 degrees....I was like REALLY??!! Needless to say the maintenance man later apologized for the bother and I saw them both out of the house...CRAZINESS! That's when I realized I'd rather live on campus! LOL :-P

What's your most cherished Bluefield College memory?
Goodness, how do I narrow this down...Mmmmm...I would have to say all the memories I have involving the music/theater departments along with my missions experiences in Brazil! I grew so much as a musician and as a Christian through all my experiences! I often found myself WAY outside of my "normal" comfort zone, but I'm so glad I was placed in every circumstance, because the ways I have grown have made it SO worthwhile! :-)

Where are you now?
I'm currently living in Big Stone Gap, VA with my husband Josh Clevenger (we will be celebrating our 7 year wedding anniversary in June!) and our two adorable baby girls, Ryleigh (almost 2 and a half) and Selah (7 months).

What are you doing?
I'm a stay-at-home-momma and I LOVE it!! It's one of the hardest, yet most rewarding "jobs" I've ever done! I'm also working with two independent sell companies to help pay the bills, etc. They are Thirty-One (https://www.mythirtyone.com/76361/) and Origami Owl (www.sclevenger.origamiowl.com). I LOVE both companies and everything they stand for and the products are AMAZING! :-) They both get me out of the house, providing for my family, and I've met so many amazing people along the way! :-D

Does that mean you're using your degree?
Well, yes and no...LOL My degree is in Ministry, so I just always look for any opportunity to minister to anyone and everyone that crosses my path! I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that people are brought into our lives for a reason, so I just try to show the love of God to everyone I meet, while helping them see their own potential! **I also am involved in an integrated worship service at my home church and facilitate the music for our Summer VBS, so that is definitely using my music degree and I love it! :-)

Are you where you pictured yourself being when you were in college?
I had no clue what God had planned for me after I graduated, and I remember how scared and unsure I was...God has brought me through some of the happiest and darkest times of my life and I couldn't imagine going through anything without Him! I'm glad He has a plan even when I don't have a clue, and His love is what I try to keep at the center of my life, because I know it's the only thing that lasts.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
5 years...goodness, my babies will be in school for a couple of years and I'm not really sure of the rest! haha I just hope to be right where God wants me to be and in the center of His will, because that's the only place where true peace is. I would love to eventually get a professional CD put together of all the songs I've written, maybe one day! Praying for God's direction with that! :-)

What's your greatest post-BC accomplishment?
I would have to say that I married my best friend and have given birth not just once, but TWICE to two beautiful and amazing little girlies that hold my heart and are the main reason I try so hard at everything I do, because they are my love and life! 

What's your fondest post-BC memory?
The day I married my husband is a day I will never forget! We ran off to Gatlinburg, TN with just a few family and friends, and that is where our amazing journey began. :-) I remember thinking that I would never get married or that no one wanted to be with me, and going through all the crazy emotions and feelings of constantly feeling that I need to be perfect or change something about myself to make me "better", better enough to be with someone. My husband truly loves me for ME and I can be myself, good and bad, pretty and ugly, happy and in despair, he loves me, BECAUSE I'm me!! How great is that feeling??! I pray everyone can experience this kind of love. We still have good and bad days, but when you find someone who will love you and you them even if it's not all hunky dory all the time, that's the love you want to hold onto and never let go! :-)

If you had it to do all over again, would you change anything?
I know I wouldn't want to change anything, because I know every experience, moment, etc. made me into who I am today. I would, however, LOVE to tell my college self that it will all be okay and to try and enjoy every moment even more, because those were some good 'ole days back in the Field of Blue, and that little place will forever hold a place in my heart!

Thanks again to Sarah Clevenger for participating in this week's Remembering Bluefield post! Come back next week to find out who else has been willing to take this little trip down memory lane!

Appropriate Uses of Ouch!

You know, a lot of titles that incorporate the exclamation point may imply that one is about to be involved in a musical of some kind. Personally, I enjoy a good musical. But this will not become a musical blog post. No, the exclamation point in the title is simply to emphasize the word "ouch." Generally, when a person says "ouch," they do so with an implied exclamation point in their tone.

Via

It's something I'm sure we've all said at some point in our lives. "Ouch," or the shortened "ow," are seemingly linked to the experience of physical pain. And pain is kind of inescapable. But pain isn't necessarily a bad thing. It helps remind us we're alive. It serves as a warning that something is wrong. When you're in pain, it's a signal to get something checked out. Kind of like when your car starts making a strange sound, it's probably a good idea to get a mechanic to take a look under the hood.

Nobody likes pain. I take that back, I'm sure there are some people who like pain. But, you know what? That's a topic for a different day on a completely different website. In fact, I'm certain there are entire websites devoted to people who enjoy feeling pain. Those websites, I'm sure, are beyond inappropriate for the purposes of today's post.

Anyway, most people dislike pain. (Better?) So we scream or we yell or shout something to make known our plight. You stub your toe, you cry out. You get a paper cut, you make some kind of noise. You fall off the treadmill and hit the floor face first, you're probably gonna cry. And there's a very good chance, at some point during these painful scenarios, you said "ouch!" Yes, with the exclamation point.

These are all appropriate examples of when to use that word. Is it really a word? Or is it more of a sound? In the way I'm using it, ouch is described as an interjection that one uses to express sudden pain or discomfort. Pretty much how I just described it above. But (and I didn't know this until I just looked it up), the dictionary also says that ouch can be a noun. Apparently it's an archaic term for a brooch or buckle of some kind. In can also be a verb, to adorn oneself with ouches. And you didn't think you were gonna learn anything by reading this blog!

Where did "ouch" come from? Where did "ow" come from, for that matter? Is it learned? Infants know how to express that they're uncomfortable. It starts with crying and screaming. But as our words begin to form, we're able to express that discomfort by saying "ow!" Is it an interjection that we learn by watching others around us who just happen to get hurt in our very young presence? Or is it an instinctual sound effect? Animals are able to howl when they're in pain. Howl... Ow... They sure sound a lot alike.

But for all the painful reasons we may have to say "ouch," there are some very good reasons to avoid saying it as well. For example, have you ever dropped something and shouted, "Ouch!"? Pretend for a moment that the thing you dropped didn't land on your toe. Pretend that the thing you dropped made zero contact with your body whatsoever. Did you still say, "Ouch!"?

Confession: I have. And I'm sure I will again at some point. Just last week, I accidentally dropped my notebook in a classroom. This should come as no surprise to most of my college friends. I've been labeled a dropper a number of times. But, you see, it was just a notebook. Can't weigh more than a few ounces. Even if the thing had hit my foot, it wouldn't have hurt in the least. But it didn't touch me. And I still said, "Ow!"

No one was around to witness my phantom pain. I'm a little ashamed to say that it took a few seconds for my brain to register that nothing actually happened and that I had no reason to say "ow" at all. Wait a minute, I'm all right. Then my brain registered relief that no one was around to witness the incident.

Maybe "ouch" isn't used enough. Maybe we should start using it a little more often. Maybe it will be a way to get sympathy from people who don't normally show sympathy. Maybe it will just be a new way to make a nuisance of yourself. If you enjoy annoying people, that may be a new thing for you to try.

So, have you ever said "ouch" when you really didn't need to?