A few things....

So I'm sorry that I've been negligent in my blogging responsibilities. This semester has been killer with teaching and being a head coach. I love my kids to death though, you'll never have a more diverse group of personalities ever! We're now nearing the end of our season so I should be getting better. A few quick updates...

1. I need peoples prayers because I am facing some knee problems that might require me to get surgery, and Lord knows I really REALLY don't want that to happen.

2. I'm really excited to be starting "The Purpose Driven Life" with a group of girls (and we just happen to be spread out across the country haha). But I'm excited because I tried to start this earlier by myself, and failed for two reasons: I was doing it alone and I wasnt in the right place spiritually. So this time around I'm starting from a whole new place. It should be awesome.

3. Along with that I'm growing so much spiritually that I dont even know where to start from. But I know that God is doing amazing things in my life, my relationships, and my family.

4. The Wii Fit is kickin my butt... if you dont have one already, it is now your mission to buy one, or make friends with someone who has one!

So in short, I dont know how much this blog will actually be about my training anymore (since I'm not sure how I'll be running soon) but more about my life growth and life thoughts. I hope you enjoy the new focus!

Snow storm... in GEORGIA?

So yesterday in church it started snowing, and by 4 pm... power had gone out in almost all of Athens. The whole time this is happenin I'm thinkin to myself... didnt I leave Reno because of this mess? It just figures that my first year in Georgia we gonna have record snows and all that mess. We were in the house watchin tree branches just breaking off trees left and right, some snapping in half. And let me tell you how cold it gets when you're in 20 degree weather with no power! Phew. Anyways, so at about 7pm last night the power came back on for 10 seconds, and then we heard three large explosions and then lost power again. It took until about 3 this afternoon for the power to come on. I've never seen a storm cause such devastation like this before. Cars were scattered all around the edges of the highway, one had been crushed by a tree. The only fun stuff was that this morning IHOP was open and I got to break out all my Reno gear (the huge Ice Dozer) and the chains. It is always kinda fun to spin out in the snows and correct it. Anyways, this whole thing caught me so off guard. What I really love is that my distance kids were callin the other coach to find out what workout they can do today! I love these kids! I'll post picts later. Here is a link to an article in our local newspaper. 

From the mouth of my father...

I Remember

by

R. Baker

I remember when

I was young

I remember being 6 years old

and being put to work

I remember cutting white peoples' lawns

and their looks of disdain

I remember my dad smiling

and acting pleased at their insults

I remember my brother and I wondering

why

I remember cleaning schools

after school

I remember my first bike

put together from broken down old parts and spray painted black

I remember being proud of it too

until I went to school and saw all the new shiny bikes

I remember baiting mousetraps…

heads 25 cents, nothing for tails

I remember wondering

why

I remember how

Martin Luther King made me feel

I remember the love, emotion

and pain he sung in every speech

I remember the pain

and sense of hopelessness I felt when he was assassinated

I remember the anger I felt when

Malcolm X was gunned down

I remember Bobby, John and Medgar

all dying because they dared to talk freedom

I remember praying in church

for that better day God promised

I remember asking God,

“What did we do?”

I remember asking my God

why

I remember seeing Negroes

being beat, hosed, hung, jailed over this thing called equality

I remember being stopped by police

repeatedly just to check my ID

I remember being stopped by police

repeatedly because I was in the car with a white woman

I remember being jumped by police

during the Super Bowl in Pasadena

I remember police pulling a gun on my dad

and all he was doing was picking up a friend to go fishing

I remember shaking my head

and asking why anyone has to go through this

I remember being

Nigger, Niggra, Spook, Coon, Jigaboo, Colored, Negro and Afro-American

I remember being

Black, African-American and finally American

I remember being

less than a man, 3/5 of a man and finally a man

I remember thinking

why did this take so long?

I remember our family

moving to Carmichael

I remember our family

being the only black family in the school district

I remember being called nigger repeatedly

as I walked to school by myself that first day

I remember the fear

I felt that never seems to go away

I remember dating a white girl for two years

and having my white friend pick her up for every date

I remember going to the same church

with that girl’s mother

I remember wondering

why does racism exist?

I remember struggling to find my place

on the college campus

I remember never being raised with prejudice

or believing in discrimination of any sort

I remember the college campus

as being a bastion of racial separation

I remember being judged by black and white

because I stood in the middle

I remember sighing and thinking

where do I belong?

I remember only able to set my sights

so high

I remember being

successful

I remember success

bringing loneliness

I remember always being

the only African-American in any meeting

I remember never having a mentor

of color to help me through

I remember being viewed

as an affirmative action project

I remember asking

what gives you the right to think white is better?

I remember a lot of good people

along the way

I remember people who stood for right

in the face of wrong

I remember people of faith

who never gave up the faith

I remember people who mentored me along the way

because they believed in me

I remember teachers who recognized my potential

and helped me bring it out

I remember friends

who truly love me

I remember singing

“we shall overcome”

I remember chanting

“Jah will provide”

I remember that someday

we were to be free

I remember wondering

when

I remember vowing

never to forget

I remember vowing

to live free

I remember becoming

strong through it all

I remember how

my dad taught us to cope

I remember how

I’ve taught my own daughters to take control of their lives

I remember I came from a family

that doesn’t quit

I remember vowing

never to forget

I now feel that I am able to forget

I now feel that healing is finally taking place

I now feel that God’s hand has touched us in a special way

I now feel that freedom is a choice and we better take full reigns of our lives

An African has become President of the United States

An African-American has become President of the United States

An African with white lineage has become President of the United States

From my father’s pain

From my mom’s heartache

To my peoples sorrows

We finally discover that we are free

I vowed never to forget

NOW I CAN

---

MOTIVATION: "Written in honor of President Obama and reflections upon my life."

BIO: "I'm just a person that lives with passion....a passion for life, environment, commonality, understanding, politics, family and love. I can only write what is truly felt...take no offense. I was shaped by the turbulent 60's where you had to stand for something, but I'm always looking with excitement toward tomorrow."

Photo by Loretta Humble

Sooo Funny!