Persist! Persist!

Hello Saturday! There is just something about the weekend, isn't there? You get to sleep in, relax, take it easy. Well, usually.

I just asked my fourteen yr old what I should write about on my blog today. He said, "How about how boring our house is and that we never do anything fun." Hmm. That is an idea, but I think I'll pass.

No, I think I'll tell you a story about perseverance instead. What a hard thing to do! Persevere!

There once lived a beautiful, talented lady who dreamed of being a runner. She had injured her low back in college but managed still to run. At a chiropractic appointment one day, her handsome chiropractor said he could straighten out those hips if she wanted. Well, why not? The treatment began and that's when all hell broke loose.

The angles of her hips to her knees, from her knees to her ankles, and to her feet all changed with the straightening of her sacrum. (which was what needed to be fixed. It's all geometry) For seven long years, this poor girl battled the ability to run. Her back, after a few years finally became stable, but a teeny tiny bone in her left foot did not like its new place in life. Its name is cuboid. It sits just in front of the ankle to the left.

It did not like being shifted, changed or rearranged because of the lady's new, straight hips. It balked and complained, often imitating terrible pain when called upon to play its part in her running regime.

Many days, this poor lady would cry in frustration at the unfairness of it all. Why was this bone not responding? For five long years the war raged. New insoles of all types, new running shoes of popular brands and many empty miles later, the lady gave up. Every time she ran, her Achilles tendon would tighten up all the way to the calf muscle and that stupid, little bone would ache. There was nothing more to do.

One day recently, this lady, while searching for insoles online, found a pair that were for metatarsal support. What is this? Metatarsal support? What could this mean for her? She ordered them straight away. When they came she tried them and boy, did they feel strange and different. But would they work? We'd soon see. It had been seven and a half years. Would her cuboid bone finally do its job?

The first day on the treadmill was just walking. No pain. The next day, a short run. No pain. To make this long story short, after three weeks, STILL no tendon or foot pain. NONE! The lady shouted for joy, often crying tears of happiness! She is now running for twenty minutes at a time and trying to up her speed. She has lost weight, gained muscle and has realized one very important thing!

You can NEVER give up! NEVER! No matter how hopeless your situation is, whether it's your health, sports, exercise, losing weight, or writing. DO NOT QUIT! Take breaks if necessary, try new things, experiment, but never give up your dream. If you PERSIST you will accomplish. You can't NOT succeed. It's impossible. The stars WILL align!

I know I'm capitalizing quite a few words here but I need you to really understand the power of persistence. Keep dreaming and never give up!