Following the Footsteps

The first full summer we lived at Pole 274 (no Lakeside Drive stuff in those days) on Harveys Lake in Pennsylvania, on just about every day to include the ones with some rain and some other meteorological gunk I would run around the shore perimeter of the lake which is in excess of eight miles (I didn't know that at the time, among the universe of things I didn't know). 

I'd take off down our driveway and when I say down I mean gravitationally, hang the left (rehearsing for my days in NASCAR) and continue past where Uncle Jim, Aunt Dot, and our cousins, Patsy (we were trying to call her Trish and I was terrible at it), Michele (just one L) and Dori lived, then past Sandy Beach where Mr. and Mrs. Sam had a drive-through until Hurricane Agnes knocked it over. 

Still farther around the lake was Hanson's Amusement Park where the Avanti Waterbugs used to stage their early water-skiing shows. We didn't have a boat our first summer so we did odd jobs to help the show; I even got to be the show announcer. 

The rest of the way around is kind of fuzzy in terms of memory though I think I used to pass a pizza place near the intersection where traffic from Dallas ('The Big D) hit the road around the lake which was close to the last quarter of the route. 

Like very nearly everything else in my life, there was no purpose to the running. I wasn't trying out for the high school track team (there was none) or serving as Gump's precursor. I just ran and I mention it now because, for much of the succeeding almost-fifty years, the only thing I've run is my mouth.

My brother-in-law, Russ, runs, or at least ran, marathons even after he and Kara moved to Florida for the joy of running while my brother Adam, pre-pandemic, ran in the New York City (among others) marathon as well as in many shorter Jersey Shore distance efforts to keep himself in shape and because he loved running.

A number of years ago he started participating in the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk, joining with thousands of runners and non-runners alike to honor the memory of firefighter Steven Siller's sacrifice and have something of lasting good and hope come from one of the most tragic of days in our history.

The #Tunnel2Towers Foundation raises money to support innumerable good causes and projects and every little bit helps. Adam used to use his annual participation as an opportunity for those of us willing and able to donate to so do. 

The Run/Walk was canceled last year as we descended into the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, but planning and preparation for a full calendar of commemorative events in observance of the 20th Anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center are well along. 

So far along in fact that earlier this week, because I'm on their mailing list, I received a solicitation from the #Tunnel2Towers Foundation to contribute again this year. I did and in much the same way as Adam brought me to them, I'm introducing them to you.

Sometimes we are in danger of being overwhelmed and paralyzed by the horror and evil of so many villainous bastards in the world which is a tragedy because our world can and should be a beautiful and loving place. Every good deed is a candle lighting the way to making where we are and go just a little bit better and brighter. 

Today might be a good day for you to strike your own match against the darkness.
-bill kenny