Tag: storytelling

Write It Down

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

It is your life. It is your story. It is your legacy. Write it down.

Not everyone likes to write or writes well. Yet, when a story is written down, there is a lingering power of influence.

Either write your stories or have someone else write them. I have family photos, WWII photos and a few stories shared over the years from my family regarding my dad. However, the stories written by others provide the most lasting memories of the few short years I spent with him.

The month my dad died the company he worked for printed a story in their monthly newsletter. The article described his struggle with cancer while still working a full day and serving civic and charitable causes.

When he was asked why he kept so busy … he said, “ …. helping others, keeps me alive.”

I have forgotten most words spoken about my dad, but at least once a year I look at a folded newsletter in my sock drawer. It reminds me of his life of service.

His life, his story, his legacy has become my life of service and my story and now my legacy…..because it was written down.

Write it down.

Persist

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

Persistence, perseverance and endurance are key character qualities to model. As you tell stories of when you endured difficult circumstances, also include stories that may not be so serious. Here’s one of mine.

I learned a lot about persistence the day I shot my future son-in-law.

Fishing is not the only thing we do at my uncle’s farm. Many hours have been spent on the back porch reading, napping and “visiting”. From the porch you can see both ponds, two old country barns, shade trees and a clothesline hooked between two posts.


One day our family gathered on the screened porch when suddenly we became aware of an unidentifiable movement. I’m not sure who saw it first, but a long snake had slithered through the azaleas and it’s head reared up and pressed his face up against the screen. It was eye level with the occupants on the love seat. You can only imagine the hysteria that took place. We found high ground quickly standing on the furniture. We were screaming even though a steel screen protected us.


Most logic had evaporated from the educated brain pool on the porch, so I “brave the wild” with the only weapon that I could find… my handy dandy, low-powered BB gun. It was about time to graduate it from shooting cans off the fence post. With a carton of BBs in hand, I loaded twenty BBs and commenced firing… this was it…time to save the family.


The snake had wound its way through the thick azaleas so there was no way for me to determine my effectiveness or to see the entire snake. Load and shoot. Only half of the shots were getting anywhere near the snake’s head. As I reloaded and continued firing, those on the porch began screaming and dancing uncontrollably. Then I heard, “Dad! Stop! You just shot (name withheld – a future son-in-law)”. Apparently a couple of shots had hit the brick wall behind the azaleas and ricocheted through the screen hitting him in the calf. A complete circus of craziness echoed through the country.

I repositioned my aim away from my son-in-law and continued the assault. It took endless rounds before the feat was accomplished. Dragging the snake out with a rake revealed that he was over 6 feet.

The force of the BB was not strong enough to penetrate the skin, but it was strong enough to give the snake a bad headache. Small actions, done consistently, will be productive over time.

All participants survived and now live to tell the story of the day I shot one of my son-in-laws, instead of my story of persistence.

It is your life. It is your story. It is your legacy.

Persist.

A Legacy of Pancakes

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

Playing, joking and doing stupid tricks are all part of leaving a legacy.

Do you have fun with your kids or grandkids? Regardless of who you are or where you are from, your kids will remember the crazy things you do together. Smiling, laughing and sometimes breaking things create stories that will be told at dinner tables for years.

My wife and I will have some of the grandkids over tonight. Their only request is to make pancakes and flip them over our shoulders to a plate 10 feet away. Last time it was pure craziest. They talked about it for weeks.

If we keep this up, this will be part our our legacy. – Moma and Papa know how to have fun.

It is your legacy. Have some fun!

It Is Your Legacy – Write It

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

You are going to leave a legacy. Intentionally telling your stories will build and guide it.

I don’t know if this is a true quote. It is probably adapted. Someone once quoted Winston Churchill as saying, “History will be kind to me, because I intend to write it.” There is a key principle. Whoever writes history controls the discussion.

We are not writing history, but we are gathering memorable events, people and happenings that the entire family knows. We are talking about everyday life. We are building our legacy.

Ask your kids to name one or two of the funniest, biggest, most dramatic, craziest etc. things that you have experienced as a family. Find a noble theme that describes what happened like courage or persistence. Or find a weird slogan that brings back the laughter, “don’t give grandma prunes for Thanksgiving dinner.” Then tell it often. They will remember.

It is your legacy and you intend to write it.

Let it Go

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

Not all sentimental possessions make good stories.

My family had a lawnmower that dated back to the 1940s. It was a push mower and required physical strength to turn the blades. I remember pushing it 50 years ago. It was terrible.

Yet, I kept it. It was sentimental but not practical. One of my kids wanted to use it where they lived. It did not work well and it was not fixable. When asked if I still wanted it I said, “let it go.” There was not a story attached to the mower.

In leaving a legacy, the goal is not a sentimental journey, but a compelling story that encourages the next generation to live today.

A few boxes hold my sentimental stuff and my kids usually politely yawn. I like that.

It is your legacy. Give your kids compelling stories.

Suffering

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

The bigger your adventure the more hardship and suffering you will face. There is always a cost.

After completing The Great Floridian Triathlon the muscles in my legs were in knots and my feet were in shock. In preparing for the marathon I did not train by walking. Thus, my feet were soft from only swimming and biking. I paid for it.

When my wife and I arrived at the hotel I collapsed on the bed. She removed my shoes and over the next 45 minutes used a warm wash cloth to remove my blood soaked socks that had embedded in my feet. It was bad. I hobbled for days.

Yet, it was worth it. I left a new story in the legacy that I am leaving to my family – Finish Well!

Pursuing anything – an adventure, a relationship or a new career will include hardship and suffering. You will probably not physically bleed, but you will pay a price.

It is your legacy.

Tell your story and include the bloody socks. They will never forget what you went through in pursuing your dream.

Why?

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

What do you want to leave your kids and their kids? Is it stuff? Is it medals and t-shirts? Or is there something else you want to leave as your legacy. Why are you really doing this? That’s a good question.

Sometimes there are deeper things going on beneath the surface. This was more than a race for me. I was making a statement.

I woke up on October 20th, in Clermont, Florida ready for the day. I ate breakfast, shaved and brushed my teeth, and then out of nowhere I became emotional. I couldn’t believe I actually had an opportunity to pursue this dream.

I had been reflecting. When my father was 54 years old, he died of cancer and I remembered the hands of those who wanted to simply touch his casket at the funeral. Now, at 54, my wife, two daughters and their husbands, and my two sons are about to watch me live to the fullest: their hands and voices cheering me on to completion. When you add the fact that just two years earlier I had a cancerous prostate removed, I was about to embark on a significant achievement for my family and me.

One of my goals as a father has been to influence the lives of my children so that they will have the greatest success. I was flooded with emotion as I realized that I was about to give each of them a lasting memory of what it means to finish well. This was going to be a great day … or two.

My gear was prepared for transition. My wetsuit was on. Although in comparison to the others, my bike looked like an uninvited guest…it didn’t matter. I was at the party, and it was time to dance. I’ve got this!

Your legacy includes more than the things you do. Include the personal motivations that are deep in your soul. Make statements with the things you do and say.

It is your legacy. Let them know why?

(This is part 8 of attempting an endurance triathlon.)

I’m in Big Trouble

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

Do you ever have setbacks? I’m not talking about a bump in the road. I’m talking about your breath is knocked out of you, and your stomach tightens and all you think is I have wasted so much time pursuing something that will not work.

I thought my attempt at the race was over. Here’s what happened.

Two weekends prior to the race I made another smart decision. I went to the actual race site in Clermont to ride the bike course. It was a 38.6 mile loop that had a slight variation after the first lap. I had decided I would do two laps, about 75 miles, which would be the longest ride of my life. I was loaded with Gatorade, water, Gu (energy food), a few other snacks, and off I went. I figured it would take 5 hours.

It took 6 1/2 hours!

At mile 22 I had to walk a big hill and my shoes would not release from the pedal clips. I fell, my chain came off, my cyclometer (measures speed and distance) stopped working, and a semi almost made me into a hood ornament. Plus, I had road rash. At the top of one hill, after straining so hard to time a red light, both of my legs and my feet cramped so badly that I had to hang onto a guardrail, feet still clipped in, so I wouldn’t crash down the hill. I am sure I was an interesting sight for the school children on the bus waiting at the light; a 6’1″, 198 lb man, with an ill-fitting helmet, hanging onto a guardrail, with a bike dangling beneath him.

It took five minutes for my legs to relax as I eventually pulled my feet out of the shoes. After ten minutes, I finally resumed the journey only to get a flat as I passed through the light.

With only a few miles to go, I decided to ride in to the finish. I didn’t care! It wasn’t my bike! As I descended another hill I discovered that you can’t steer a front flat tire very well and I was picking up speed. Since the front tire was flat, the breaks no longer aligned with the rim of the tire. Therefore, no breaks on the front and the back brakes weren’t slowing me down. All I can say is, “God’ s grace is sufficient”.

75 miles… 6 1/2 hours… I was a disaster. I was in big trouble!

I finally made it back to the car. The only thing on my mind was that I am in big trouble. There’s no way I’ll finish the race.

We’ve all been there. We’ve all experienced being in a hopeless situation.

My friend fixed the bike and even improved the gears. My tribe encouraged me to keep going and I bought another cyclometer.

It took a few days to clear my head and come to this conclusion … If I am going to fail, I am going to fail trying. This was my shot!

Your kids will love to hear when you were crushed and either almost failed or failed. They will see that you pursued your dream.

I didn’t know if I would finish the race, but I was going to find out! We all were going to find out.

It is your legacy. Tell the story.

(This is part 7 of attempting an endurance triathlon.)

Who are your Guides?

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

Who are your guides? You need one so that you can fulfill your dream. They are part of your legacy.

A friend, a spouse, a mentor, a book, a blog or videos are all part of being a guide. They instruct and encourage. They walk with us. They help pick us up when we stumble.

Tim, a friend of mine, let me borrow one of his bikes. He prepared an old style twelve-speed Olmo bike. The bike was painted and tuned up. I bought cycling shoes and some accessories. I am ready.

The first thing I noticed when I rode was the resistance and noise caused by the wind. It was loud compared to the quiet air-conditioned gym. Anyway, it was summer and now my weekend rides were outside.

I had several guides. The spin instructor, my friend, a book on triathlons and my wife’s encouragement. They provided everything I needed.

Sometimes we search out guides and sometimes the guide finds us. Regardless, you will need them. We need what they have experienced. We need the encouragement. And don’t forget to show your appreciation.

It is your legacy. When you tell your stories to the next generation, include your guides. You can’t do it with out them.

(This is part 6 of attempting an endurance triathlon.)

Your Plan Needs Action

It Is Your LegacyLeave a comment

When you set out on an adventure you are leaving a legacy. It is your legacy. Don’t just talk about what you want to do. Do something. Your plan needs action. I was 54 years old and probably living a mid-life crisis. Regardless, I was going for something, even if I fail.

Preparation for the triathlon lasted 32 weeks. Laps and intervals at the community pool went from 400 meters (16 laps) to 4000 meters (160 laps). Often counting the laps was the hardest part. Toward the end of training I would be in the pool for two hours, twice a week. At least I was confident I could swim 2.4 miles without stopping. Surely, a swim around a lake would be the same as a pool. I’ve got this.

The first 12 weeks of training on the bike took place in spin class with a long ride on a stationary bike on the weekend. True cyclists kept saying, “You need to get outside,” and I replied, “Buy me a bike and I will.” Finally, I borrow a bike from a friend. By the end of training my weekend ride reaches 65 miles outside.

On a couple of weekends I combine the swim with a bike ride. I calculated my times to complete each phase and I think I can make it. Anyway, that’s all the time and energy I have to prepare. I’ll keep my heart rate in a good range. All I have to do is survive and finish… and say thank you for the t-shirt.

Let your kids know what you went through to pursue your dreams. Tell them of your preparation and actions and sacrifices.

It is your legacy. Tell it.

(This is part 5 of attempting an endurance triathlon.)