Sunday, December 09, 2007
an allegory
An Allegory
A runner needed a pair of shoes, good, supportive, cushioned running shoes for the upcoming marathon. He needed the kind of shoe that makes running enjoyable, the kind of shoe that enhances performance, a shoe that fits. He jogged to the local running center and found a number of others there at the same time, all looking for the very same thing – a good fit. The race was coming and all these dedicated runners wanted to be prepared with proper gear.
Unfortunately, as it turned out, there was a limited supply of shoes. But the salesperson, with the best of intentions, was determined to satisfy the needs of all these customers, and set about fitting these feet with shoes that were not quite perfect fits, and were sometimes even badly matched. The runners needed shoes, they were committed to the race, and they hated to disappoint this well meaning clerk, so they accepted with good grace the recommendations made to them. And, in truth, a few of the runners were lucky enough to find exactly what they needed, but many settled for an ok fit, and others squeezed their feet into Adidas when they performed best in Saucony, or they took a 10 1/2 when they really needed a 10. Our particular runner found himself in just such a situation; he needed Saucony, size 10. This is the shoe that had brought him success on other occasions. Now he was wearing Brooks 9 1/2, they didn’t feel too terrible and the clerk was sure that they had enough flexibility to suit him and that he would adjust to the new fit. So he left the store with some doubts and lots of hope that all would be well.
The marathon day arrived. The runners were ready, more or less. Twenty six and six tenths miles is a long race, it takes commitment and endurance. The beginning of a marathon is almost euphoric. The air is electric with energy and expectation. There are no quitters at the starting line, everyone will finish; and truly, a marathon is primarily about finishing. There are a few who will finish at the front of the crowd, but the vast majority finish in hours - 3, 4, 5 hours. The goal is to finish and to perform at your personal best, whatever that may be.
All the runners from that running center started out with positive attitudes, high hopes, and new shoes – some which fit better than others. A few runners found they were not as prepared for the race as they had thought and dropped out early on. A few determined to make it to the half-way point. Most were committed to finishing no matter the cost. And a very few found out that they were wearing perfect shoes enabling them to run almost effortlessly.
Our runner, in the 9 1/2 Brooks, ran. He ran through the pain of the first blisters; he ran through the pain of muscles used in strange ways to accommodate his aching feet; he may have stopped about mile 13 to cut the toes out of his shoes and relieve some of the pressure – that would have given him a tremendous sense of relief and renewed energy. He drank his water and his Gatorade and followed all the advice of his seasoned coaches; but he cursed the well-meaning clerk who had sold him the shoes; and cursed himself for not understanding the importance of the perfect fit. However, he was buoyed by the encouragement of the hundreds of onlookers and supporters, “You’re doing great.” “Keep it up, you’re looking good,” “Looking good, looking good, have some water.” It is amazing how much strength he drew from those well-wishers. It got him through the worst times. Whenever he really considered sitting down on the curb and removing the shoes, joining the cheering crowds, someone looked him right in the eye and said, “You’re doing great! Hang in there! I'm proud of you,” and he kept on going. Thus he was able to finish, not in glory, just finish.
Maybe some of those supporters drew strength or encouragement from HIS determination. Maybe some learned a lesson about the nobility of commitment.
Our runner will never know about those things; he will know something more about himself though. Maybe that is what it is all about.
Peace Corps?
A runner needed a pair of shoes, good, supportive, cushioned running shoes for the upcoming marathon. He needed the kind of shoe that makes running enjoyable, the kind of shoe that enhances performance, a shoe that fits. He jogged to the local running center and found a number of others there at the same time, all looking for the very same thing – a good fit. The race was coming and all these dedicated runners wanted to be prepared with proper gear.
Unfortunately, as it turned out, there was a limited supply of shoes. But the salesperson, with the best of intentions, was determined to satisfy the needs of all these customers, and set about fitting these feet with shoes that were not quite perfect fits, and were sometimes even badly matched. The runners needed shoes, they were committed to the race, and they hated to disappoint this well meaning clerk, so they accepted with good grace the recommendations made to them. And, in truth, a few of the runners were lucky enough to find exactly what they needed, but many settled for an ok fit, and others squeezed their feet into Adidas when they performed best in Saucony, or they took a 10 1/2 when they really needed a 10. Our particular runner found himself in just such a situation; he needed Saucony, size 10. This is the shoe that had brought him success on other occasions. Now he was wearing Brooks 9 1/2, they didn’t feel too terrible and the clerk was sure that they had enough flexibility to suit him and that he would adjust to the new fit. So he left the store with some doubts and lots of hope that all would be well.
The marathon day arrived. The runners were ready, more or less. Twenty six and six tenths miles is a long race, it takes commitment and endurance. The beginning of a marathon is almost euphoric. The air is electric with energy and expectation. There are no quitters at the starting line, everyone will finish; and truly, a marathon is primarily about finishing. There are a few who will finish at the front of the crowd, but the vast majority finish in hours - 3, 4, 5 hours. The goal is to finish and to perform at your personal best, whatever that may be.
All the runners from that running center started out with positive attitudes, high hopes, and new shoes – some which fit better than others. A few runners found they were not as prepared for the race as they had thought and dropped out early on. A few determined to make it to the half-way point. Most were committed to finishing no matter the cost. And a very few found out that they were wearing perfect shoes enabling them to run almost effortlessly.
Our runner, in the 9 1/2 Brooks, ran. He ran through the pain of the first blisters; he ran through the pain of muscles used in strange ways to accommodate his aching feet; he may have stopped about mile 13 to cut the toes out of his shoes and relieve some of the pressure – that would have given him a tremendous sense of relief and renewed energy. He drank his water and his Gatorade and followed all the advice of his seasoned coaches; but he cursed the well-meaning clerk who had sold him the shoes; and cursed himself for not understanding the importance of the perfect fit. However, he was buoyed by the encouragement of the hundreds of onlookers and supporters, “You’re doing great.” “Keep it up, you’re looking good,” “Looking good, looking good, have some water.” It is amazing how much strength he drew from those well-wishers. It got him through the worst times. Whenever he really considered sitting down on the curb and removing the shoes, joining the cheering crowds, someone looked him right in the eye and said, “You’re doing great! Hang in there! I'm proud of you,” and he kept on going. Thus he was able to finish, not in glory, just finish.
Maybe some of those supporters drew strength or encouragement from HIS determination. Maybe some learned a lesson about the nobility of commitment.
Our runner will never know about those things; he will know something more about himself though. Maybe that is what it is all about.
Peace Corps?
# posted by pverwiel @ 11:42 AM 
