Part Two: A life-changing bet

Part Two of the Tribute to Norm Series

A life-changing bet
We hadn't worked long together before we became pretty good friends. His job necessarily intersected mine in a regular way - my class size was large, and the demographics of the area ensured I had many students in need of his services. Our personalities, or rather, his personality was such that forging a friendship was easy. Not only that, it was a necessity; we, along with Tom Kirkman and Mike Fields, were the only men in the building (excluding Mr. Bohling, but as principal, we didn't travel in the same circles).

Fall passed to winter passed to spring, and as the weather warmed the other guys gathered to run one day. They asked me to join them. I was a power lifter at that time, at the height of my strength (my nickname back then was "Big Bill"), and I'd always been able to run. "Sure, why not?", I said.

Tom was definitely the leader of the group, being an ex-running coach. The regular path was to start at the 16th and Highway #37 intersection and run to the Oolitic light, a distance of about three miles. Tom's methodology was direct as it was simple - we staggered the run so we all finished together. Specifically, the slowest guy went first, then the next fastest, then the next, then the fastest. The sub-idea was to beat your expected finish, meaning you individually finished ahead of everyone else.

Being the studly man I was (or thought I was), it fell to me to take the last slot. It made sense, as I was the youngest and (apparently) most fit. Common sense would suggest I should be the fastest. Norm, ever the instigator, tossed out what I thought was an insane bet. "I bet I beat you for three miles!"

In my head, my inner-Deckard shouted, "NO FRICKEN' WAY!". Outwardly, I scoffed, and promised it would not, no, could not happen.

Once at the starting line, Mike started out. Tom followed at the preset time interval, then Norm. I went last. Being the novice road runner, I of course tried to make up all the distance at once. As I recall, there were several minutes between us (such was their confidence in me). I was great for a mile. Then I wasn't great. Then I wasn't good. Then I wasn't even bad - I was horrible! I drug myself in, quite sure my suffering would be rewarded with the gloating I would heap upon Norm.

Oh, there was gloating. And it was heaped. On me.

Norm had bested me by maybe 20 seconds. Now I could try to make excuses. I could suggest that side-by-side it wouldn't have happened. I could suggest my pacing could have changed things. But you know what? When you lose, own it, and congratulate the one who beat you. Norm won, fair and square, so I did the honorable thing. I walked right up to him, stuck my finger in his chest, and said, and I quote,

"That will never happen again!"

Our lives take twists and turns, it's part of the adventure, and often we can't see around the next bend. Sometimes we can't even look back to discern how we arrived at our current destination, but in the rare case, there is absolute, crystal-clear clarity about when our lives changed forever. For me, this instant marked one of the most dramatic course alterations in my life.

You see, I kept that promise. I immediately started training - a lot. Norm and I were so competitive on every level, I couldn't allow him to win anything. From that moment on, I stopped being a weight lifter. I became, overnight, an endurance athlete. My first week post-loss was 40 miles, and it only went up from there. Within months, I ran my first 5k and 10k. It turned out I had some talent (broke 18:00 on my first 5k!), and my life became running for many years to come.

But that's only a fraction of it. Running soon brought me into a whole new circle of friends, people whom I could easily describe as the best friends I've ever had, indeed they are my family, and they are also the highest caliber of human beings anyone could ever know. They are diverse, talented, funny, warm, and caring, just as Norm was, and it's because of him and his silly bet I'm a part of their lives.

I've thought often of that bet over the years, chuckled at it, marveled at how easily Norm could play me, like a maestro on his violin. I'll always remember that moment, only now that chuckle will be followed by a tear...

Tomorrow: Norm hates heat

The week of Norm

As reported yesterday, Norm Taylor has indeed passed away. It's a terrible loss to the community in multiple ways. Norm was one of the good ones, a unique personality that left his mark on all that knew him.

Platitudes. I hate them. They say everything and nothing at the same time. Like Polonius of Hamlet, it all winds up being long-winded gibberish.

Allow me to follow another track. I've known Norm for well over 20 years, worked with him closely (at times), and of course trained with him. Perhaps a better way to express the loss would be through several stories that reveal his character.

The Beginning
I first met Norm when I was teaching at Lincoln Elementary, back in the fall of 1990. There had been federal grant money made available for a new program, "Home/School Advisers" they called them, and Norm was one of the first hired. The position was nebulous, amounting to liaison work between school and home. The job would require the counselors to make home visits (something pretty much unthinkable now) in an attempt to facilitate the home/school relationship.

Such a position required people of special character, those with outgoing personalities that could say what needed to be said without offending. Such a position required tact, grace, reserve.

Norm walked into my room, shook my hand, and asked me where I went to college.

"IU Bloomington", says I.
"Naw, BOILERMAKERS ALL THE WAY!", he shouted, and it was on.

Now I'm not really clear on whether or not it was his style to be antagonistic or if he had an innate ability to read people to the point he knew exactly who he could push, and how far. Maybe it was a little of both, but in my case, he had a willing antagonist. I can't be sure who started it, him or me, but we were soon exchanging jokes back and forth.

Norm was shameless. I had a virtually unlimited supply of Purdue jokes at my disposal, and he could never dream of outnumbering my list. However, he adopted the tactic of coming back the next day, repeating my jokes to me, but transposing the characters. He didn't care I would protest, that made it all the more fun for him.

I finally got him though. I needed a joke he couldn't transpose, and searching the list, I found one.

"Hey Norm, why does Santa Claus wear red and white?"
"I don't know, why?"
"He hates Purdue too!"

He scowled, shook his head, a clear acknowledgement he'd been owned. Even he couldn't switch that joke around.

Tomorrow: A life-changing bet

Sad news

As of this writing, news on the grapevine is one of our beloved members of our running community has passed away. I won't divulge a name here yet in the very much hopeful event the news turns out to be wrong. I did receive the new via a reliable source, and the events described rang true. 'Tis a sad day indeed.

I could post a lot of stuff about work and training, but I have to say, I'm not very much into it right now. I'm going to let this unfold a bit, let it sink in, then I will come back in another post tomorrow.

Back hurts... again

Hate it. Back hurts again, just when the mileage starts up. I am building, but it's discouraging.

We had 10 of us out there tonight, 11 if you count Rowan. Who would have thought so on a coolish fall evening with darkness falling? I snuck in a few miles before the group met, then struggled in the back half of the run. Oh, well. Tomorrow is the same plan, except I will lift as well.

Things have to kick off soon. Cycling, swimming, more miles... triathlon season will be upon us before we know it. The season is made in the months before the actual season.

I am working on a couple of laptops as we speak. Yes, I have homework. It's worth it. We'll soon have another lab ready for school at no cost to the corporation. That's a win!

Off to bed. I'm so tired right now!

Slow going

Happy 16th Birthday, Erin!

Thanksgiving is over, thank goodness. It was a trial in some ways (personal), and it is with no small relief I've seen it pass. Sure, there was good in it too, but I'm still glad it's over.

Work is still there. Though we had a five-day break, today opened with pretty much the same thing I left all those days ago. On the bright side, I've managed to refurbish 15 laptops, providing a lab we didn't have two weeks ago. That allows more flexibility with regards to some of our required standardized testing, such as Acuity. If I could somehow double that number, well... it would just be sweeter all around.

It's easier said than done. The pool of available machines has dwindled significantly. Those that remain will probably require quite a bit of delicate soldering to fix - a skill I'm not sure I possess, and requiring knowledge I certainly don't. I can gain the knowledge, I might develop the skill, but it may be useless pursuit. The machines are quite old, and who knows how long the fix would last.

On to training, I've tried to creep the training levels up a bit, with mixed success. I am getting more mileage, but as expected, the soreness of my hips has climbed as well. That will never end, it's obvious, so I will have to work around it as best I can. Next week is December, and with that I have to begin cycling. My plan is for 60 miles a week. If I can do that AND run 40 mpw, that would be solid. My lifting will also pick up a bit. Beyond that, and only if there is time, I would like to swim once a week. That's the thumbnail of the plan as it stands.

The Bub's Patties and Pups challenge is in serious jeopardy. Bub's wants $150 to rent the room. Uh-oh. We've decided to turn Jimmy loose on them. No, don't feel pity. They asked for it. Back to work. Computers to refurbish. ;)

Computer frenzy and Abe Lincoln

The two aren't connected in any way other than I have had occasion to talk about both in the last 24 hours. We'll start with the former and move to the latter.

Our corporation was informed it would have to conduct all ISTEP testing from grades 3-8 completely on computers. Never mind we don't have nearly enough computers to do this, or that the state has crippled our system with budget cuts every year of Mitch Daniels's tenure; we'll have to find a way, some way.

For my part, I'm trying to recover some discarded laptops. It isn't easy. Many have bad keyboards or other parts, and I'm having to cannibalize them to create complete systems. How long they'll last, who knows, but we might get closer to making it through the tests. What I can build is only a drop in the bucket for what we need, and since the state is completely inflexible about staggering the test so we can rotate kids through our labs... well, I don't know what we can do. Glad I'm not a principal or superintendent.

I will push forward until I run out of equipment. After that, the scavenger hunt really begins. Wonder how it will go over when I ask for unused teacher iPads...?

On to Lincoln... Jimmy and Dan have both seen it, and both have raved. Jimmy wanted to talk about it, wanted my opinion on it (before I saw it), but didn't want to spoil it. Dan assured him I didn't know anything about Lincoln, so whatever I might contribute would be useless anyway. Oh, contrare! While not an expert on Lincoln, I do know a few things.

My one comment, which was immediately contradicted by one tall, nordic, and non-laughing member of our running family, was along the lines of, "With regards to Lincoln being known as the great emancipator (which he does deserve some credit for being), if he could have ended the war without freeing a single slave, he would have done so." This observation was pretty much rejected outright. Well, in my defense, I offer a direct quote:

 "My paramount objective in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slaves, I would do it, if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it." - Abraham Lincoln

The Emancipation Proclamation was a tool to unite the North against the South, nothing more. This does not mean Lincoln was anti-abolition - hardly the case - but the perception of Lincoln with regards to slavery is often over simplified.

If you look at the Lincoln/Douglas debates, while Douglas argued that states could continue to decide for themselves forever the issue of whether or not slavery could exist in their home state, Lincoln refuted by saying the Union would have to choose one way or another, it could not continue on the way it was. This is commonly taken to mean he was anti-slavery in the comment, due to his affiliation with the Republican Party. It is safer to say Lincoln was pro-Union, by whatever means necessary.

Look at another quote by Lincoln, spoken in 1858 during that aforementioned debate:

"I will say then that I am not, nor have I ever been in the favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races . . . There must be a position of superior and inferior, and I... am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race ... I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position that the negroe should be deprived everything."

Lincoln was a great president, perhaps the greatest, but history has reshaped our view of who and what he actually was.  

Post Donut Run Post

Yesterday was the 2nd annual donut run, this time an official "Krispy Kreme Challenge". Seventy-two runners made the field, with our own Jake Fiddler coming out first, Roy Ritter coming in second. For the two of them, the difference was small, a mere 30 seconds or less. Jake ran faster, Roy ate faster. Epic battle!

I think though, for me, the most amazing feat of daring-do came from Sarah Lee. As the only female challenger, she represented hard. Not only did she eat all 12 donuts, she finished the run well ahead of her son Evan. Far, far ahead. There will be some well deserved ribbing in the Lee household for some time.

I want to thank all of you guys for helping out. There is no way such events could be held without you. We are truly blessed to have so many good friends willing to pitch in to make these things happen.

I wasn't worth spit the rest of the day after the event. It's been tough at work all week, and in a way, it was lucky for the race it was. I have been doubling down on my job, teaching of course, but also formatting and repairing laptops. I'm doing it to help bridge the substantial gap we have between students and the numbers of available computers, made imperative by the unfunded mandate by our loving state officials that all ISTEP tests be conducted online entirely, grades 3-8. The simple fact is there aren't enough computers to do it, probably in most schools around the state.

Why did this help the race? Because one of the laptops I salvaged turned out to be crucial to the results yesterday. My personal computer pooped out, at least to the point it wouldn't have been usable. I had the presence of mind to take a backup computer, a bit of personal brilliance on my part.

Looking forward, there is of course the Give Thanks Run on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. This is Allen's race, and it's a great one, for a great cause. We'll all make that one again!

Fear Not!

It's been very, very busy, and yes, I've neglected my blog. Sorry, had to happen. It's a function of time.

However, if you've been in a vacuum since my absence, let me catch you up on a few things...

1. Romney lost
2. Obama won
3. America won

Okay, that was the obligatory political statement. 

Now, if you're still reading, let's move forward. There are many events planned in the next few weeks. What are they?

1. Donut Run - Saturday, 9 AM, BNL
2. Thanksgiving Run - Mitchell, Thanksgiving Day
3. End of Time (Mayan Calendar)
4. Christmas
5. Hope's wedding
6. Bub's Challenge

We are still mulling around as a group regarding plans for next year. We are considering what races need to happen. Will we do a full or half Ironman? What marathons? What triathlons? Trying to nail it down seems to be a bit of a problem. 

Let's keep it simple for now. Tomorrow a few of us are starting early from Jimmy's, 4:45 for three miles before the main group.