Okay, so most people who know me well know that I'm kinda quirky - (why else would I have been drawn to this field?) - but when I say I'm gonna do something, I do it! To be more accurate, I'm stubborn, and quite obnoxious, when I set my mind to something...but I didn't create this page just to broadcast my flaws...

The truth is, I could've jumped on this "running" bandwagon years ago. (I work for Randy, for crying out loud...if running ever needed a spokesperson, she'd be the chosen one for sure!) I didn't start running until recently because I couldn't do it before. My doctor said it would be unhealthy for me to run, since rheumatological conditions run in my family, and I have one.

Did it go away? I don't think so, but there is A LOT to be said for extinction. Some behavior analysts believe that even thinking is a behavior. I dig that. So I put myself on a plan. Whenever I started to think 'You shouldn't be running', I just ignored my behavior. It worked! After the typical extinction burst, during which I experienced  periods of intense thinking-that-I-shouldn't-be-running, the thinking started to occur less and less...until I finally stopped thinking altogether! 

Wait...that didn't come out right. Well...you get the picture.

So why have I worked so hard at getting myself to the point where I'm actually training for a half-marathon after being a non-runner most of my life?

Two reasons. The first reason is because when I see what individuals like Jonathan, Alie and Jamie are capable of, it inspires me. We can teach these kids so many things, but what always amazes me the most is how much they teach us every single day. Their progress is proof that Autism isn't an invincible warrior...we can fight it...and be successful.

And if Jonathan, Alie and Jamie can overcome the many obstacles and challenges they face, then the rest of us have no excuse for not at least attempting to break free of our self-made prisons.

These guys are incredible...and I have the feeling that they, and all the other unique and wonderful individuals I've had the privilege of getting to know, will leave me with a lot more than I can ever hope to give them...but I know that participating in this event will benefit them in many ways, and that's good enough for right now.

The other reason I've started running is because I can. I know now that I always could have, but I allowed myself to be convinced that I couldn't. I had tons of physical energy and I could never seem to find the perfect outlet for it. It was kinda like being all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Then my mother passed away in August of 2007. She'd been seriously ill and physically disabled most of her life, and then died a slow and painful death at the age of 52. I didn't know how to make sense of that at first...but some time earlier this year, I decided that I wasn't going to waste any more time trying to. Instead, I allowed myself to really embrace the lessons that her life and death have taught me, especially the lesson that we should never take anything for granted. 

Right now, at this point in my life, I am in moderately good health. I'm physically able to do a lot of things. I don't have to sit in a wheelchair like my mother and watch people walk in the park, play sports or dance the night away...wishing that I could join them.    

I can run. It may hurt sometimes. It may seem more like a chore than a hobby on some days. I may never be great at it....but as long as I can move these two legs on my own, I will keep running. I will never take anything for granted ever again.

And then there are some things that I didn't need to learn, that I've always just known. One of those things is that we are all connected, and therefore, responsible for each other. So my main goal in life has always been to find something I love to do that would also benefit humankind in some way.

At school, at work, in love and out in the community, I seek out people who share this belief with me, because no revolutionary has ever succeeded in changing the world alone. Each of us is a visionary in his or her own way, but without the love and support of others, even the simplest dreams remain trapped behind the seemingly impenetrable walls of our imaginations. Change is possible...but we have to believe that we can be the ones to make it happen.

The point of all of this rambling is that you can seriously go without that cappuccino today and donate what you would normally spend on it to Eden II. Come on, be an altruist, even if just for one day. It'll make you feel better...(which kind of proves that there's no such thing as true altruism, but now I'm just being obnoxious again).

Please donate anything you can spare....and THANK YOU!