“Watching all the other people joining in on the running. They encourage other people. I find that so exciting.”
Larry Washington knows this little block in Queens just about better than anybody else. He has been a caretaker at Thomas Edison High School for 25 years and most mornings he is out around the school grounds cleaning up trash. He is methodical about his job and takes pains to make sure all the garbage is cleaned up every day. Proud to make his little bit of this world that he is personally responsible for neat and tidy, though most certainly by tomorrow surely more will come and take its place.
For 16 years Larry has had a front row seat on this little miracle, the Self Transcendence 3100 mile race. A vantage point that very few others have and so because this race inhabits a big chunk of his universe he has noticed a lot, and more importantly, been impressed by what takes place here for 52 days each summer.
What he notices is how people from around the neighborhood are drawn to the block and exercise as well here.
“You can see them when they come out. They don’t run as long as diligent and as dedicated as the runners who are running out there. But watching them, and watching the others who may just come around and run once or twice, and the elderly who walk at the same time. I find that very encouraging. Because that gives people the inner strength that they can do it.”
When asked what he thought of it all when it first started. He confesses, “I was not viewing it in a correct light. (laughs) Because it wouldn’t be me. Then I started growing a little bit, and I started equating it with when I was in the Service. We had to run 5 miles before we started our regular duties. So I said, these are diligent people. They are really dedicated to their work. Of trying to accomplish what ever it is, whether it is their health, or if it is spiritual, what ever it is that they are trying to do. I can see that they are dedicated to it. ”
“I see their determination and the extra will that goes along with it. Trying to see themselves through that long journey, and I find that very encouraging. You can see the human spirit pushing forward when they know they can’t. And they are saying , O yes I can, and they overcome it. I find it to be a good thing.”
Click to play interview
The heart knows
Not only how to encourage
But also how to help the mind
To lead a better life.
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On this day 104 years ago the English country side was sweltering under usually warm weather conditions. For the 75,000 spectators sitting comfortably in the stands of the brand new White City Stadium watching the Olympic games it must have been glorious.
It would take Dorando something like 10 more minutes to complete the final 385 meters. In all he would fall to the ground 5 times, and each time anxious officials helped him to his feet and then across the finish line. It would not take long for all to realize that despite his heroic effort and despite his superb performance he would have to be denied a medal and disqualiified from the race altogether.
Luckily news real cameras captured this moment but to the people in the stands who actually saw it and read in the papers afterwards no one had ever seen anything like this before. Witnessed a man pushing and willing himself to a goal that would forever remain just beyond his grasp. Pietri would see the gold medal he so desired go to Amercian John Hayes. In the future they would compete against each other for high stakes all across America. Pietri would eventually become rich. He would say of all this latter in his life:
Sarvagata has not been in top form now for a while. A hip problem has been painfully befriending him for some time. “There were a lot of things during this race, new. Blisters for example. A lot of them, and also there is some problems with the toes of my feet. They don’t want to line up straight. They try to twist. They hit each other. It is all interesting.”
I have noticed that he seems to have spent more time interacting with the other runners. “Mostly I am talking to myself but definitely more as well. Also I have seen a lot of things on the course. Which I didn’t see in the last race. I have seen runners, their problems, their joys, their experiences. “
“It was a big day I think I have a hang over.” Yesterday was Arpan’s birthday and there were big celebrations on the course last night. “I got a lot of surprises. A lot of people came. I had a treatment which helped me last night. This morning it seems as though I am reverting back to my same old problems.”
He is a 60 year old boy
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 Enthusiasm Awakeners….Click to Play…..Parvati |
We help ourselves tremendously
When we encourage others
In their life-activities.
Not exactly today but in 1982 Sri Chinmoy wrote a short report on a race in Cummingham Park that I got to read today by chance.
Rejean’s Handshake
Rejean won the two-mile race today, and they gave him only a handshake. If the organizers of the race did not plan to give the winners anything, why did they charge a dollar fee to enter? Since Rejean was the best runner, he should have shook their hands as hard as possible. Then they would have remembered his handshake. They might have forgotten his running, but they would never have forgotten his handshake.
Abadh was second, then just a little behind was Utpal…