May 17, 2026
When I was younger, I was a runner. I started in high school when each of us was expected to join a team. I had never played any sports before and was clueless about the rules and strategies for all games that involved a ball, so I decided to take up running on the track team. My coaches soon determined that I was a poor sprinter, so they helped me to develop stamina. Soon I was one of the long-distance runners on the team, specializing in the mile, 2-mile and ½ mile races. The next fall I started to run on the cross-country team.
I wish I could say I was a good runner, but I was not. What I did have, however, was persistence and the ability to keep going when others quit. By my junior year, I occasionally won second place in the 2-mile race. Often, in cross country I was in the top ten finalists. I learned to focus on improving my individual time. What I took away from track was the value of teamwork, continually trying new techniques to improve, and “staying the course” even when the terrain was tough and the conditions abysmal. We ran in all four seasons. Sometimes it was excruciatingly hot. At other times the roads were icy and treacherous. Once in a while, we had prefect conditions and running was pure pleasure. Always we helped each other as teammates to stay on the right path, and we cheered each other across the finish line.
Those values have stuck with me for more than 40 years. I no longer run, but I continue to have stamina and persistence in my life. I value being part of a team at work, at home and with my friends. I have learned to be resilient when things don’t go my way, to redirect and to try another path when things don’t work out. I don’t quit easily, either, even in tough situations.
As I enter the last weeks of my full-time career in K12 education, it is my ability to keep going that I am relying on right now. Education like running has all manner of challenges. Difficult students, parents who have an axe to grind, “new initiatives” and unsupportive administrations have sometimes pushed me to the brink. There are many times I considered quitting or leaving the field all together. I loved the kids, however, and that was why I stayed through some tough issues, ridiculous bureaucracy and low pay. Now, I can finally see the end is in sight. As tired as I am, I know not to give up or to slow down to walk the final stretch. This race is a marathon, not a sprint. I will continue to listen to the cheering from the sidelines and pay attention to each footfall, so that I don’t stumble. I will rest when I cross the finish line, and not before. I will likely recall the challenges and the victories of being a teacher for the rest of my life. Memories of special students will stay with me forever. I don’t see any need to run another marathon, at this point. Walking gently into the next phase will be enough to keep me mentally engaged and physically strong as I move toward whatever lies down the road. Soon, it will be time to say good bye to my over 30-year career. Today I will “stay the course” a little bit longer.
Mindful Musings 