Climbing mountains, tall or small, mental, physical or financial has to start somewhere. This week It started with a physical First – walking 15 miles from my home in Medford, NJ to Philadelphia over the Tacony Palmyra Bridge. A long way from the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, which is my goal to climb to raise money for charity. But ya got to start somewhere! Geez I’m old.
A “WHY” can be a powerful tool:). My why is a desire to raise $ for my first official mentee Carlos Aponte and We Love Philly to realize his dream. A dream of obtaining real estate in West Philly for an educational oasis of experiential learning. A safe space to learn to graduate with a career path out.
I started my 15 mile walk in my new Lowa Renegade GTX Mid hiking boots that I had purchased a few weeks ago for the future climb. I wanted to start to break them in to see how they’d feel on a long hike. The day was a perfect late January winter day, in the low 50’s, with the sun peeking out from an overcast sky. I was conscious to be present and in the moment on my walk. I took in the varied landscapes. I listened to the birds and appreciated the blue shy that was appearing. I noticed the trash spewed alongside the road. Walked on railroad tracks and reminisced back to when I walked them over 50 years ago in the “country” of Perkiomenville. Those tracks have now become the Perkiomen Trail. As the miles piled up my legs started to speak to me to encourage me to quit. My mind would occasionally drift to random thoughts. I sat down for a brief respite with my thoughts going to calling my wife to pick me up. But, I kept convincing myself to move forward. I knew that my mind would be telling me the same thing on my climb of Kilimanjaro. I kept walking as the pain grew.
I’m not sure why the memory of a passed friend, Steve Posso from Arizona, after almost ten years, visited me during my long slog. Steve had passed of ALS – a horrible incurable disease. Maybe it is because he was an incredibly brave man who taught me, and so many people, to keep a smile on your face through adversity. Steve NEVER quit, despite his life-threatening challenge. He kept loving and living life, making it an adventure, even in the face of adversity. He NEVER gave up, despite his certain outcome. I never once heard Steve complain during his long battle with ALS. Instead, he was making others laugh, helping his community, while always keeping that great smile on his face. He lived life to its fullest until his last breath. He would jump out of a plane, water ski, or whatever inspired him – all while having to depend on others for assistance. I am so lucky to have known him. I know I’ll never ever forget his kind, loving spirit. Steve lived his life with kindness, and sense of adventure until his last day. He had a profound impact on my life and the lives of others around him. THANK YOU, my friend. You inspired me to: Listen more, Do more, Love more, extend more Kindness, Live more and Be more! If Steve never quit, how could I. I finished my 15-mile walk – a First!.