I'm planning to do a water walk to get some small idea of what life is like for the women and children who need clean water. I don't have anything firm in place at this point; I'm thinking of walking to a stream that is about 1 mile from our house (or finding another stream further away...most women and children walk more than 1 mile each way), getting water, and walking back. I don't have a date in mind, but it would likely be a Saturday or Sunday in October.
I'd like to invite you to consider joining me. Please comment on this post or send me an email/facebook message if you are interested.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Burden of Thirst
If we can look at the people that are suffering and not turn away, then perhaps we can start to change things. - Lynn Johnson, photographer
I urge you to watch the following video by National Geographic, titled The Burden of Thirst.
The video interviews are courtesy of www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org
I urge you to watch the following video by National Geographic, titled The Burden of Thirst.
The video interviews are courtesy of www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Night At The Chameleon Club
Friday night, I found myself at the Chameleon Club (my first time in the 10 years that I've been here...can I say that I'm TRULY from Lancaster now?) for an Ed Kowalczyk concert. It was rockin! Ed is the former frontman of the band Live. According to his website, Ed got involved with World Vision due in part to a realization during his daughters' bedtime routine. He was giving them their nightly cups of water when it hit him that it is a privilege to be able to provide clean water for his children; some fathers don't have a clean cup of water to give to their children every night.
I felt really grateful to have the opportunity to volunteer at the World Vision table and help generous concert-goers sign up to sponsor a child. It was particularly meaningful to me because all of the children sponsored Friday night are from Zambia, the same country where our sponsored child is from. When the night was over, 13 people signed up to sponsor children. But the night wasn't all cheery; I was left with some unsettling feelings. One of the men that signed up to sponsor a child appeared to be drunk. This type of situation was not discussed during our volunteers' training. When he woke up Saturday morning, did he remember that he committed to providing monthly support to a poverty-stricken child? Another woman told me that she has cancer and may be able to support her child for only a few months. These new child sponsors felt compelled to give financially; I am hoping that, somehow, their act of providing financial support to a needy child serves to meet some of their own unspoken needs.
We are all needy. Some of us are more aware of our neediness than others. Some of us have more socially acceptable kinds of neediness than others. Some of us need money. Some need friends or family. Some need physical or emotional healing. Some need a deeper relationship with God.
It feels uncomfortable to be needy. We try to cover it by buying the right clothes or cars or houses, or appearing to be happy or spiritual all of the time or working hard to keep the right job or having good social connections. It requires courage to admit our neediness and to ask for help.
I felt really grateful to have the opportunity to volunteer at the World Vision table and help generous concert-goers sign up to sponsor a child. It was particularly meaningful to me because all of the children sponsored Friday night are from Zambia, the same country where our sponsored child is from. When the night was over, 13 people signed up to sponsor children. But the night wasn't all cheery; I was left with some unsettling feelings. One of the men that signed up to sponsor a child appeared to be drunk. This type of situation was not discussed during our volunteers' training. When he woke up Saturday morning, did he remember that he committed to providing monthly support to a poverty-stricken child? Another woman told me that she has cancer and may be able to support her child for only a few months. These new child sponsors felt compelled to give financially; I am hoping that, somehow, their act of providing financial support to a needy child serves to meet some of their own unspoken needs.
We are all needy. Some of us are more aware of our neediness than others. Some of us have more socially acceptable kinds of neediness than others. Some of us need money. Some need friends or family. Some need physical or emotional healing. Some need a deeper relationship with God.
It feels uncomfortable to be needy. We try to cover it by buying the right clothes or cars or houses, or appearing to be happy or spiritual all of the time or working hard to keep the right job or having good social connections. It requires courage to admit our neediness and to ask for help.
In the nightly bedtime routine at the Kowalczyk house, I am in charge of getting two glasses of water for my daughters' night stands. One evening last year, as I handed my 8-year-old her glass, it hit me like a freight train; this clean water is a blessing that thousands of fathers, just like me in this world, do not have. I don't have to worry that the water might make my children, the loves of my life, sick with a possibly fatal illness. I simply take it for granted. I decided then and there to make a difference. It is with great pleasure and profound gratitude that I announce my partnership with World Vision. Let's all work together to give parents in need that simple joy of putting a glass of safe and clean water on the nightstands of their little ones."
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Drawing for Non-Artists...
...is the title of an art class that I took this summer. All of you who know me know that art is not really my thing. Or at least I've never seen it as my thing. So I was quite surprised, or really more like shocked, when Dave presented me with the class folder and paperwork and told me that the art class was a Mother's Day gift. At first, I didn't even want to accept the gift. Considering the fact that I hated coloring as I child, I kind of resigned myself to the fact that I would never be an artist.
It felt like a big step for me to show up at the first class, but I managed to make it there with an open mind. During the six classes, I learned some basic drawing theory (who knew that a drawings's focal point shouldn't be located at the center of the drawing!), made some new friends, and faced my fear of being totally uncreative and boring. And my drawings weren't horrible! In most cases, you can actually tell what I was trying to draw.
For our fourth class, we were to complete an expressionist drawing. Our instructor told us to bring an object or photo to class and gave us a short explanation of expressive artwork. She said that artists would often choose a situation or photo and then distort or exaggerate some aspect of the subject to express the feelings that the artist attaches to the subject. She showed us several examples of expressive pieces from a textbook, including a painting of a streetlight. I loved how the streams and the brightness of the light contrasted with the dark sky. I loved how the light was winning against the dark.
So I decided to look for a photo of a fountain. I was hoping to emphasize the size and number of drops of water to express the life, joy, and abundance that I associate with a fountain. You might imagine how frustrated I was when I was unable to find a photo that matched the image in my mind. When I finally exhausted my internet search, I noticed a magazine on our dining room table. As I was flipping through it, I discovered Jon Warren's image of several women and children carrying water through a dry land in the early morning. Right away, I knew that this was what I wanted to draw.
I hurried to class with the magazine and my art supplies. As I sat down to draw, I intended to emphasize the rays and the brightness of the sun, symbolizing hope in the midst of a tedious and wearying, but necessary, task. But as I continued, I found that the only thing that I felt compelled to express was the truth about these real people and their predicament.
The most important thing that I learned during my art class is that you need to look intently at something before you can draw it correctly. You have to study your subject. You can't look away because you're distracted or have too little time, or because you're disturbed by what you find as you investigate. Your discoveries may alter your artwork, your thinking, or even your life.
So, how specifically did this situation result in a marathon registration, fundraising, and this blog? You'll have to keep reading for the continuation of this story.
It felt like a big step for me to show up at the first class, but I managed to make it there with an open mind. During the six classes, I learned some basic drawing theory (who knew that a drawings's focal point shouldn't be located at the center of the drawing!), made some new friends, and faced my fear of being totally uncreative and boring. And my drawings weren't horrible! In most cases, you can actually tell what I was trying to draw.
For our fourth class, we were to complete an expressionist drawing. Our instructor told us to bring an object or photo to class and gave us a short explanation of expressive artwork. She said that artists would often choose a situation or photo and then distort or exaggerate some aspect of the subject to express the feelings that the artist attaches to the subject. She showed us several examples of expressive pieces from a textbook, including a painting of a streetlight. I loved how the streams and the brightness of the light contrasted with the dark sky. I loved how the light was winning against the dark.
I hurried to class with the magazine and my art supplies. As I sat down to draw, I intended to emphasize the rays and the brightness of the sun, symbolizing hope in the midst of a tedious and wearying, but necessary, task. But as I continued, I found that the only thing that I felt compelled to express was the truth about these real people and their predicament.
The most important thing that I learned during my art class is that you need to look intently at something before you can draw it correctly. You have to study your subject. You can't look away because you're distracted or have too little time, or because you're disturbed by what you find as you investigate. Your discoveries may alter your artwork, your thinking, or even your life.
So, how specifically did this situation result in a marathon registration, fundraising, and this blog? You'll have to keep reading for the continuation of this story.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A Change of Pace
Last fall, shortly after having a revelation that coaching cross country would be the "perfect job" for me (the latest in at least a few "perfect jobs" that I've thought of in the last couple of years...more on that later), I started reading some books on coaching. I read one piece of advice that I've come back to several times since. The author was describing a situation that I think every runner has faced at some point: you are running in a race and you are feeling TIRED and want to slow down or drop out of the race. The author recommended encouraging the runner to try speeding up first, before slowing down. (What?!?) His reasoning was that sometimes, the runner doesn't really need to slow down. What the runner really needs is a change of pace (Daniels' Running Formula by Jack Daniels, PhD).
This sounded a little crazy to me, but I wanted to test the author's theory. I first tried this at the gym. For me, less daylight=treadmill running at the gym. I don't typically enjoy running on the treadmill. Unless I have someone to talk to, I get bored easily or start obsessing about my running milage or pace. I started inserting some quick pace running into my normal routine, even at points where I would typically feel tired. Often, I was able to keep up my quick goal pace. Amazing!
I look back over my life at the times when I've felt discouraged or weary, or when I've ended relationships or activities or jobs, and I wonder how many times I chose to retreat when I really needed to accelerate.
This sounded a little crazy to me, but I wanted to test the author's theory. I first tried this at the gym. For me, less daylight=treadmill running at the gym. I don't typically enjoy running on the treadmill. Unless I have someone to talk to, I get bored easily or start obsessing about my running milage or pace. I started inserting some quick pace running into my normal routine, even at points where I would typically feel tired. Often, I was able to keep up my quick goal pace. Amazing!
I look back over my life at the times when I've felt discouraged or weary, or when I've ended relationships or activities or jobs, and I wonder how many times I chose to retreat when I really needed to accelerate.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Dave is my hero!
My husband was my inspiration for my first marathon. Dave ran the Philadelphia Marathon in 2008. I remember The Conversation. One spring morning in 2008, very shortly after my daughter was born (so I was exhausted, hormonal, overweight, and desperately in need of excuses to get out of the house kid-free), Dave informed me that he had decided that he wanted to train to run a marathon. At the time, he hadn't gone for a run in years. I was shocked. I think I may have cried when he told me. I was not very supportive. I was jealous. After-all, running a marathon was MY life goal, and one that I had not yet achieved.
I remember the transformation that took place in him over the following several months. He lost 30 pounds. He gained confidence as he tried something new and struggled and overcame and improved. He even started waking up early for morning runs (and Dave is not a morning person). He became disciplined where he was undisciplined for the sake of reaching his goal.
Before we knew it, it was the morning of November 23, 2008, and the race was about to start. Dave would be put to the test...would his hundreds of hours and thousands of miles of training be enough? Was the training a worthy investment of his energy? Dave put on his running clothes, drank some coffee and water, downed a bagel, and jogged to the race start. I remember seeing him at several points along the course, cold and tired, but brave, and having fun as usual (see video below!).
Seeing others strive to achieve the unattainable and ambitious suddenly makes that impossible goal possible for us. It empowers us to try new things. It reminds of dreams we once had or places a mirror in front of us to keep us accountable to the things we said we hoped to accomplish. It helps us to have the courage to put ourselves out there...to grow and to change.
I'm grateful to be married to someone who did (and does) this for me. Very shortly after completing his marathon, Dave encouraged me to sign up for a half marathon. I followed through, and in the process, rediscovered my love for running. Next, I finally registered for and completed that marathon.
Dave's inspiration for his first marathon were two friends, John, his best friend from college, and Rob, a mentor and coworker. Who inspires you today? How can you encourage others with your bold actions?
I remember the transformation that took place in him over the following several months. He lost 30 pounds. He gained confidence as he tried something new and struggled and overcame and improved. He even started waking up early for morning runs (and Dave is not a morning person). He became disciplined where he was undisciplined for the sake of reaching his goal.
Before we knew it, it was the morning of November 23, 2008, and the race was about to start. Dave would be put to the test...would his hundreds of hours and thousands of miles of training be enough? Was the training a worthy investment of his energy? Dave put on his running clothes, drank some coffee and water, downed a bagel, and jogged to the race start. I remember seeing him at several points along the course, cold and tired, but brave, and having fun as usual (see video below!).
Seeing others strive to achieve the unattainable and ambitious suddenly makes that impossible goal possible for us. It empowers us to try new things. It reminds of dreams we once had or places a mirror in front of us to keep us accountable to the things we said we hoped to accomplish. It helps us to have the courage to put ourselves out there...to grow and to change.
I'm grateful to be married to someone who did (and does) this for me. Very shortly after completing his marathon, Dave encouraged me to sign up for a half marathon. I followed through, and in the process, rediscovered my love for running. Next, I finally registered for and completed that marathon.
Dave's inspiration for his first marathon were two friends, John, his best friend from college, and Rob, a mentor and coworker. Who inspires you today? How can you encourage others with your bold actions?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Some numbers
Not sure if you like numbers. I LOVE them. I love the way that they can be used like a writer uses words or an artist uses his/her medium of choice to describe and build and expose and evaluate and express. I love that they are governed by certain rules...that there is an order about them...but that we can also use them to create all kinds of beautiful and meaningful things.
I think a lot of runners love numbers. It seems that a lot of runners like to talk about stats. How far did you run today? How long did it take you? What's the longest run you attempted before your marathon? How many 5Ks have you run this year?
For those of you who love numbers, today's post is for you! First, some running-related numbers:
500 Spots remaining to register for the Philadelphia Marathon (this will be my last plug...it's still not too late to sign up to run with me!!)
600+ Miles I will have run to train for the Philadelphia Marathon
2 or 3 Pairs of running shoes worn during training
16 Weeks of training=number of Saturday long runs=number of power bars eaten
22 Miles run during my longest long run
1 Number of marathons I've finished before the Philadelphia Marathon
3:37:47 Hours, minutes, and seconds that it took me to complete my first marathon
3:30 Minutes and seconds that it took me to complete each of 4 800-meter runs I attempted this morning
And now, some water-related numbers:
1 in 8 People world-wide who lack access to clean water
46 Percentage of people world-wide who do not have water piped to their homes
100 Gallons of water the average American uses in one day
2.6-5.26 Gallons of water the average Sub-Saharan African uses in one day
3.7 Average number of miles walked each way to a water source by women/children in developing countries
45 Pounds of water carried per water pot or jerry can from the water source
3 Liters of water required to produce 1 liter of bottled water
2,900 Gallons of water required to make 1 pair of blue jeans
I use these statistics to imagine myself as a woman in a developing country. I leave early in the morning with my 2 children and walk 3.7 miles to a water source that may also be used by animals or for washing or sewage. I hope that there is some water, even if it is dirty. I carry an awkward container that is the weight of my 4-year-old son on my back for another 3.7 miles. I agonize about whether to let my children drink the water. I don't want them to get sick. I spend so much time and physical (and mental) energy getting the water that I don't have time to pursue other work or hobbies. My health is impacted by this daily exercise. I am anxious. I don't feel hopeful.
For now, this is why I run.
The sources used for the water stats are quizzes found here on the National Geographic website and websites by UN Water, The Water Project, and Water.org.
I think a lot of runners love numbers. It seems that a lot of runners like to talk about stats. How far did you run today? How long did it take you? What's the longest run you attempted before your marathon? How many 5Ks have you run this year?
For those of you who love numbers, today's post is for you! First, some running-related numbers:
500 Spots remaining to register for the Philadelphia Marathon (this will be my last plug...it's still not too late to sign up to run with me!!)
600+ Miles I will have run to train for the Philadelphia Marathon
2 or 3 Pairs of running shoes worn during training
16 Weeks of training=number of Saturday long runs=number of power bars eaten
22 Miles run during my longest long run
1 Number of marathons I've finished before the Philadelphia Marathon
3:37:47 Hours, minutes, and seconds that it took me to complete my first marathon
3:30 Minutes and seconds that it took me to complete each of 4 800-meter runs I attempted this morning
And now, some water-related numbers:
1 in 8 People world-wide who lack access to clean water
46 Percentage of people world-wide who do not have water piped to their homes
100 Gallons of water the average American uses in one day
2.6-5.26 Gallons of water the average Sub-Saharan African uses in one day
3.7 Average number of miles walked each way to a water source by women/children in developing countries
45 Pounds of water carried per water pot or jerry can from the water source
3 Liters of water required to produce 1 liter of bottled water
2,900 Gallons of water required to make 1 pair of blue jeans
I use these statistics to imagine myself as a woman in a developing country. I leave early in the morning with my 2 children and walk 3.7 miles to a water source that may also be used by animals or for washing or sewage. I hope that there is some water, even if it is dirty. I carry an awkward container that is the weight of my 4-year-old son on my back for another 3.7 miles. I agonize about whether to let my children drink the water. I don't want them to get sick. I spend so much time and physical (and mental) energy getting the water that I don't have time to pursue other work or hobbies. My health is impacted by this daily exercise. I am anxious. I don't feel hopeful.
For now, this is why I run.
The sources used for the water stats are quizzes found here on the National Geographic website and websites by UN Water, The Water Project, and Water.org.
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