"The (Running) World according to Mister Rogers"

I have a book called "The WORLD according to Mister Rogers".

Yes, you remember the PBS show don't you?

I thought the show was so dumb as a kid,

and when us kids would always rag on him but watch it anyway because it was...

TV

and On

and we weren't allowed to change the channel,

my Mom would always say, "I love Mister Rogers."

Ohhhhhhhhhhh, brooooootherrrrr, I would think!

And then, when I was the Mom and my kids would watch it, for the same reasons I did,

I was the one saying "I love Mister Rogers."

Because as a Mom, you realize the important stuff he's talking about.

So when I saw this book at Walgreens several years ago, I got one for my Mom and one for me.

On the back of the book is this quote,

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never dream of.  There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person."

I've thought of this quote a lot.  And I would add to it, "no matter how brief the encounter, or perhaps there was no personal encounter, but words left behind on paper or now a days, videos etc, etc."  

I think from my perspective I feel and know how much other's impact me, but perhaps I underestimate the impact I have on others.

How does this apply to running, your wondering?

Yeah, I haven't forgotten this was a running blog.

Last Saturday, I slept in a little, til about 7 ish.  I was trying to rouse myself out of bed to go do my run, when I got a call from Sharon Peterson about Cub Scout Training that started at 7:45am.  She had told me about but I hadn't written it down!

I decided I better go to the cub scout training, but that meant trying to get my run done later in the day.

This almost never works for me.

If I don't do it first thing, when I have most of my energy, I usually can't make myself do it.  But since I committed myself to this training program I knew I would have to.  I knew another Sunday run would not work.

Well sure enough after the morning meeting, the afternoon came and it was HOT!  And I did not feel like running.  There was lunch to be eaten and other Saturday type things to do.  I avoided the run to the last possible minute, realizing if I didn't go now, I would not make my Stake Conference Mtg. in the evening.  As it was I would probably make myself late to it.  Could I do it later on tonight?  No, that would not work.

And so I went about 5:30pm and it was starting to cool off a little.  Just a little.

I slogged my way around my loop, enjoying the different time of day, the different lighting etc, and trying to ignore the heat and my lack of energy.  When I was about 2/3rds done, I noticed a woman, perhaps of Latino descent, I didn't even really notice much about her and at the distance she was from me I didn't expect any communication.  Sometimes people pass right by me and don't even acknowledge me.  But just right as she was going out of my line of sight, she yelled, "You go girl!"

I didn't know if she thought I was doing good or taking pity on my sorry sweaty state, but that brief comment buoyed my spirits!  And I feel good whenever I think about it.  And I think what  a kind extension of herself that was, to be my personal cheerleader, when she had no compelling reason to say a thing.

If I had been in her shoes, I don't think I would have said a thing.  And I don't know if she thinks I cared at all about her comment, I was so shocked, I didn't respond.   Maybe she saw my smile.  I hope so.

So anyways, it has made me think about this quote from Mister Rogers again.

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never dream of.  There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person."

Wow, what opportunities do I miss to cheer another on because it is not expected or I don't think they will really care what I say?  And what do I leave of myself if I don't say anything?

Thanks, lady, whoever you are!

I hope I will overcome my introspective nature at times so that I pass on the favor to others!