Run! Run! Run!
So, here's the deal - I'm going to attempt to run the Boston Marathon.
The why answer is below, and the how happened like this. My brother in arms (and legs, in this instance), Mayor Menino, upon hearing that Read Boston had marathon number availability, looked at me with some expectation. Now we could debate whether or not His Honor challenged me in that instant, but that debate aside, I accepted. The marathon was 47 days away from the moment of my acceptance.
The real motivation for agreeing to possibly cause great pain to my body though, is Mayor Menino's Read Boston program. Read Boston will be the recipient (if you choose to contribute) of your monetary support of my efforts. Read Boston encourages the young people of our city to engage in a lifelong love affair with words and the art of communication. When we teach our children to advance or defend themselves with words, they are less prone to use other means of aggression or defense. Read Boston truly provides Boston's children with the gift that keeps on giving… for a lifetime.
So support this vision quest, that will hopefully end with me crossing the line in front of one of the most famous word banks in the world, the mother ship of the Boston Public Library system. Whether you send along a donation, or simply send good thoughts, I am appreciative of your support.
The closing lines of John O'Donohue's ethereal poem Beannacht (Gaelic for blessing) shall be my fanfare.
"May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life."
As I don my invisible cloak, my blessing is your support.
For love and words,
Michael