Bloomin'

I had the amazing joy and pleasure to walk with my Gramps through Bloomsday this year. It was great. Being around him for the short time reminded me of all the things he taught me through my years of working on their farm, going on trips and so much more. He is a man that has dedicated his life to following God and he doesn't waste any interaction with someone to bring a smile to someone's face. Below is an e-mail he wrote about his thoughts regarding Bloomsday.
One of the more remarkable things about my Gramps (aside from just being my Gramps) is his story. He was the middle in a tractor and grain car sandwich (this is the 21st birthday he talks about in the e-mail). He received 13 pints of blood and has since made a goal to give 10 times that back (he's two pints shy at 75). My Gramps is a pretty amazing guy.

MATT HAD EVERYTHING TAKEN CARE OF. WE HAD OUR MAG STRIP ON OUR SHOE TO RECORD OUR START AND STOP TIME BY JUST WALKING ACROSS THE STARTING AND FINISH LINE. WE HAD OUR NAME, NUMBER, ADDRESS, AND ETC. FASTENED TO THE FRONT OF OUR SHIRT. WE DROVE TO THE BUS PICKUP AREA, AND RODE THE BUS TO THE START AREA, GOT OFF, CHECKED IN AND WAITED 30 MINUTES OR SO FOR THE "RACE TO BEGIN".
WE WERE A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE START LINE, BUT DIDN'T MATTER BECAUSE OUR TIME DIDN'T START TILL WE CROSSED THE START LINE.
THE WEATHER WAS A LITTLE CRISP, BUT THE SUN WARMED US FINE. RUNNERS ON THE LEFT, WALKERS ON THE RIGHT, HOWEVER ONCE WE STARTED TO MOVE THE RUNNERS SEEMED TO BE MOST EVERY WHERE. I TOOK NO FOOD OR DRINK, LOTS OF GROUPS OFFERED WATER AS WE MOVED ALONG THE ROUTE. I TOOK ONLY SIPS AS THERE WERE ALWAYS LINES AT THE PORTE POTTIES, AND AFTER I WARMED UP A BIT I PUT MY WIND BREAKER AROUND MY WAIST AND ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL MORNING. BECKY, BROOKE, AND MINDY DID THE RUN, BUT YOUR SON AND I HAD A GREAT WALK AND TALK TIME. ALL KINDS OF MUSICAL GROUPS PLAYED, SOME SO NOISY WE WALKED FASTER TO GET PAST THEM. SURPRISINGLY A ONE MILE SIGN SHOWED UP RATHER QUICKLY. WE MOVED RIGHT ALONG AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT, A TWO MILE SIGN WENT PAST, AND THEN THE THREE, AND LOW AND BEHOLD THE FOUR CAME UP. SOMEWHERE ABOUT THEN THE INFAMOUS HILL COULD BE SEEN IN THE DISTANCE. MATT PULLED INTO THE AID STATION FOR MOLE SKIN ON BOTH HEELS. I STEPPED BEHIND THREE PEOPLE AT THE PORTE POTTY. THERE WERE STILL TWO PEOPLE AHEAD OF ME WHEN HE WAS READY TO GO, SO AWAY WE WENT AGAIN. AT FIVE PLUS MILES WE STARTED UP "THE HILL". I SLOWED DOWN A BIT, BUT FELT NO PAIN. ABOUT HALF WAY UP I STARTED A CONVERSATION WITH A MATURE COUPLE, AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW THE PAVEMENT LEVELED OUT AND THE HILL WAS HISTORY. THE VIEW WAS GREAT WITH A RIVER IN THE CANYON BELOW, AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE MILE SIX CAME UP AND THEN THE FREE HOT DOG FRESH OFF THE GRILL, SNUGGLED IN A BUN WITH CHEESE, ONIONS AND CHIPS. ALL IN A PAPER PLATE SO WE COULD BE ON THE MOVE AND MUNCH ON THE GO. ONE BITE AND WE WERE OFF FOR THE FINISH LINE A MILE OR SO AWAY. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE M.P. (MILE POST, NOT MATT PRIOR) SEVEN SHOWED UP. WE DIDN'T SEEM TO LONGINGLY LOOK FOR THESE POSTS, IN FACT MATT HAD TO POINT THEM OUT, AND I MISSED EVEN SEEING ONE OR TWO. AT ANY RATE, AN ELEVATED LINE OF PURPLE BALLOONS APPEARED IN THE DISTANT STRETCHED OVERHEAD ACROSS THE MASS OF BODIES PROGRESSING FORWARD TO THE ULTIMATE GOAL. SMILE AND WAVE AT THE CAMERAS AND THEN THERE IT WAS-----THE ELECTRONIC TIMER STRETCHED ACROSS THAT BROAD STREET THAT WOULD TRIGGER MY NUMBER AND DO THE MATH THE SECOND I STEPPED OVER IT. THE RACE IS OVER, BUT NOT THE WALK. ANOTHER HALF MILE OR SO AND WE GET OUT "BLOOMSDAY 2010" TEE SHIRT. ANOTHER QUARTER MILE OR SO AND WE'RE BACK AT THE BUS STOP AND HEADED BACK TO THE CAR. SURPRISINGLY, THE TRIP WAS PRETTY MUCH JUST LIKE A LONG WALK. NO REAL PAIN. MY KNEE CAUSED VERY LITTLE DISCOMFORT, AND ONLY OCCASIONALLY TALKED TO ME. MY FORTY DOLLAR RUNNING SHOES DID A FINE JOB WALKING WITH NO SQUEAKS OR PINCHES. MAIN POINT OF STRESS AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING LAST HALF OF THE DISTANCE WERE A FEW SHOOTING PAINS IN THE HIPS. NOTHING TO SCREAM ABOUT BUT THEY GOT MY ATTENTION. ALL IN ALL IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. MATT AND I HAD A GREAT TIME VISITING, AND HE WENT AT MY PACE LIKE A WONDERFUL GRANDSON. HE HAD SOME VERY GOOD GUIDANCE AND CARE DURING HIS MATURING YEARS. HIS FOLKS SHOULD BE VERY PROUD, HE'S A FINE YOUNG MAN. I'M READY TO DO IT AGAIN--------NOT REAL SOON,-------- BUT AT LEAST BY NEXT YEAR.

MADE IT HOME FINE WITH ONLY TWO PEPSI'S.

THIS IS ALSO A SPECIAL DAY FOR ME, AS I'M CELEBRATING THE TWENTY FIRST ANNIVERSARY ON THIS 3RD DAY OF MAY, 2010 OF MY HUG BETWEEN THE CAB OF A TRACTOR AND THE SIDE OF A GRAIN CAR.
MY EIGHT BROKEN RIBS ARE NO LONGER PUSHING AGAINST MY LUNGS, MY TWISTED CLAVICLE HOLDS ME TOGETHER JUST FINE. ALTHOUGH MY LEFT ELBOW IS RIDGED, AND MY ARM IS THREE INCHES SHORTER, IT IS JUST THE RIGHT LENGTH TO FASTEN MY PANTS. MY BROKEN RIGHT SHOULDER IS ALL HEALED, AND ONLY GETS MY ATTENTION WHEN I REACH OVER MY HEAD OR TRY TO THROW A BALL OVERHAND FOR BUDDY.
LIFE IS WONDERFUL.

GRAMPS