238: What Makes a Hero?

Although being on a diet makes me think of a hero like those also known as sub, grinder or hoagie, my rumination of the day was not about the edible type. An amazing by-product of exercise is how, when you can tune out the 30-minute Sudanese infomercials and the heavy mouth-breathers, and the smell of medicinal men's soap, you can really examine the so called 'four corners of your mind.' Frequently, during exercise I am thinking about my friend Ray, who long-time readers already know, died in the World Trade Center, building two, on September 11, 2001. I thought about him especially when I heard the song "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits (with Sting), who was one of his fave bands (though he liked Van Halen better). I had to just consider the thought for a minute of "what is a hero?" I know the obvious answer is someone who performs a heroic act. But I think there is another element to heroism. It's when what you stand for is so good, so clear and so right, and so absolutely demonstrable, that it makes an impression on everyone who meets you. And that was Ray. He was all about doing his homework, cleaning up, standing up for the little guy, doing what was right, and telling the truth. This isn't to say he didn't act badly sometimes, but whenever you thought "what would Ray do," you would know that he would do the right thing. In that way, I think he continues to influence me to this day. It's also why (besides the obvious loss to his family) I was so sad to lose him. Though we did not see each other often, he was like a moral compass in this world full of distressed and lost souls, among whose numbers I count myself. But at least I got two quarts of peppadews.

Brefest
Three Eggs, Over Easy
2 Strips Turkey Bacon
2 oz. Cracker Barrel Yellow Cheese
Tea

Shnack-en
Nuts
~6 oz lite yogurt (I shared most of two yogurts with Magnolia)

Lunch
Cheese from 1/2 slice of Pizza
Olives

Dinner
Steak Tips
Peppadews
Greek Salad

For the second day Emily let me sleep late and as a results of a later breakfast I am having a smaller lunch. For the first time in two weeks I got to the gym and did 40 minutes and 3.5 miles. I thought it would be a lot harder as it usually is when I miss a week. Surprisingly, it just takes a while to warm up and get into it—then it's pretty easy (if not occasionally boring).