Beware of the time zone change!
We woke up in the dark and got ready and it was still....dark. Executive decision to delay the start of the run for safety reasons, so I started out on my run just a bit later with a reflective safety vest and a flashing light (all of which had not been used to this point). Now for those out there that are particularly astute, you will know that when we woke up in Upsala, the time had NOT changed as yet, this only occurred several kilometers further East. We were ahead of the game, or ahead of the sunrise as it were. So obviously as we get further East and into Fall, the days will further shorten and we will have to start a little later in the a.m. This is not a major problem, but it will give us less day to work with especially on the longer mileage days that are coming in the future.
believe it or not - this in the Trans Canada Hwy
B+B @ Kakabeka Falls
So what started out as cloudy and looking like major rain, turned out to be a few spits only and it got sunnier and hotter the closer we got to Thunder Bay. We stopped for a quick lunch and photos at Kakabeka Falls then bumped our way through a long bit of major road construction to get to the Sleeping Giant of a city.
Given that we will have a early start when we leave, we decided to visit the Terry Fox Monument which is on the opposite end of the city. For those that have never been, I'm posting a few pix as it deserves every bit of attention that I can give it. As we were driving in, the editor for the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal called and we fortuitously arranged for the interview to be at this site. When we arrived it was hot and sunny, a beautiful summer day, overlooking Lake Superior. We shot some pictures and video, but really I just wanted to be there and take it all in again. We had visited as a family quite a number of years ago, little did I know at the time what I might be doing today!
Terry Fox is a true Canadian hero. There is absolutely no doubt his life journey was an epic one and he had the will and courage and vision which changes people, which changes countries - it definitely changed Canada and every Canadian. Being on the road for a month now, I have caught a glimmer of what he saw. I can't say I have experienced what he did, however. I am fit and healthy and am running on two strong legs and riding a fast bicycle. I can't imagine...even after doing what I have done so far, I still can't imagine what it must have really been like for him. The sheering pain with each hop, the agonizing slowness of literally inching across the landscape. Every km must have felt like a hundred. His legacy touches me deeply, now more than ever. When I finish my own tour, I will think of him often. Was it his martyrdom while still so young? Was it his belief in miracles and his battle to make one happen? He was the first, the one and only. His life has inspired many, it certainly inspires mine.
Early on, I had stated that I wanted to do for mental illness what Terry did for cancer. This was a very bold statement and I retracted it publicly. I was not comparing myself in any way to Terry Fox, I can't and should not. I just wanted to state my dream of abolishing discrimination and stigma and inspiring people to talk about mental illness in positive ways. As Terry wanted to raise money to put an end to (the pain of) cancer, I dream of raising awareness of depression and SAD. I want to give all the silent sufferers a voice, a strong voice of action, a voice of positive change, a message that mental illness can be challenged, controlled and ultimately beaten. If I can accomplish this, even in a small way, I have accomplished everything I set out to do.
I stood humbled, in the shadow of Terry Fox - and I was honoured to be Canadian and to perhaps "know him" even a little more than most others ever will.
Quote of the day - and definitely not random today
Dreams are made if people only try
I believe in miracles
I have to
because somewhere the hurting must stop
Terrance Stanley Fox
If today's blog doesn't reach out to the heart of everyone reading, then I would indeed be surprised. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt takes this noble actions and visions on yours and Monique's behalf to bring about the necessary and much needed awareness and out of the closet mentality for mental illness, especially in the professional fields, and of course for all walks of life.
ReplyDeleteYou are joining a unique elite club of self-sacrificing individuals who give strongly of themselves to bring about the necessary changes society needs to move on in a positive healing way, thank you! You are Knights of the Heart of the Continent who travel coast to coast and whose message reaches the Universe!