In Search of the Human Spirit

A short video of the historic day:

A group of American World War II Veterans met up with Japanese World War II Veterans in Hiroshima in April.  The men gathered together to pay respects by visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.  Then they played softball.

Most of those who participated were in their 80s.  They played their game at an elementary school where some 400 children died during the bombing of Hiroshima.

This was the second time the group got together for a softball game.  The last time they met in Hawaii in 2007.

An alliance between an Iraqi organization and 9/11 families hopes to bring about a more peaceful Iraq. The Iraqi organization is called La’Onf, which means “no violence”. The founder is Ishmaeel Dawood.   They’ve joined up with September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows to achieve their goal.  This group is made up of people who lost loved ones in the terrorist attack.

The groups got together in January 2006 to study non-violent movement leaders.  The read up on Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela to name a few.

They then set up nonviolence weeks in Iraq to spread the message of peace.  In 2007, committees worked in 18 Iraqi provinces.

October 11th began the third annual peace week.  The focus of this years effort was democractic provincial elections.

Visit the September 11th Families website to learn more about the joint efforts.

Peace to all on International Day of Peace. This day was designated in 1982 to promote peace throughout the world.

According to the website:
“The United Nations’ International Day of Peace - marked every year on September 21 - is a global holiday when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace.”

If you’d like to learn more about the day and the efforts to promote peace, visit their home page

If you’ve got some time on your hands, join volunteers Saturday September 20th for Caliofnria Coastal Clean Up Day.  The day is designed to get all the garbage dumped by Summer revelers off of California’s shorelines and beaches.  Groups from all over the state are planning clean up operations.

Last year, over 60,000 folks showed up.  The cleaned up beaches, lakes, and rivers.   If you can believe it, they hauled in over 90,000 pounds of trash.  That’s alot of junk people leave behind!

If you’d like to learn more about clean up day, visit the California Coastal Clean Up Day website

September 17, 1787…that was the day that the U.S. Constitution was signed.  39 men took ink to paper on that day.  The foundation of this great nation was set.

Today is the day we celebrate the Constitution, the basis of America and her great principles. How different would this country be without the rights set forth in the Constitution!

I wonder if our Founding Fathers knew how revolutionary their ideals were.  Would they be surprised to find that the Constitution stills endures, though many times people have tried to weaken in?  It still amazes me how they were able to construct a basis for government and rule so different than anything going on in the 1700s.

Spend a little time today pondering the principles and rights set forth in the Constitution.  If you’d like to learn more about Constitution Day, check out this flash presentation put together by the Bill of Rights Institute:

Constitution Day Presentation

What is it about marathons that make me so darned emotion?  I am not even a fan of running (watching or doing it myself).  Yet everytime I watch the men and women’s marathon during the Olympics I get all teary eyed.

I was doing fine with the men’s marathon until the last few minutes when the runner who was vying for first started to slip back.  Soon he was lost out of sight.  I wanted to help him keep up.

When Samuel Wansiri entered the stadium I felt so happy for him.  He was the first Kenyan to win the marathon.  Then Jaouad Gharib of Morocco ran across the line.  Another first, I believe.

But I really got emotional when Merga Deriba of Ethiopia entered the stadium, clearly out of steam.  His teammate, Tsegay Kebede was gaining ground.  Deriba was getting slower and slower, then Kebede passed him.  Tears streamed down my face.  What heartbreak to come so far and then end up out of medal contention in the last 10 seconds.  I don’t even know who Deriba is.

So, what is it about the marathon that brings me to tears?  Does it happen to you too?  I think it must be that we all know what it’s like to work towards something, to struggle, to triumph, and to have it fall from our grasp just as it seems it’s ours.

To me the marathoners exemplify the Olympic spirit.  There are only so many who will win.  Yet, many show up at the starting line and many cross the finish line in 10th or 20th place.  They do it to show themselves they can.  They compete against themselves for their own personal best times.  That is enough.  Knowing they came to the Olympics, they competed, and they did the best they could is enough for the runners who know they will never medal.

Seeing the Kenyan, Moroccan, and Ethiopian on the medal podium was a proud moment.  Of course, I am happy when Americans win, but Americans will always win something.  These three may be the only athletes from their countries to take home medals.  They will be cheered and admired.  Because their successes are so rare, they become more special.

So,

If you watched swimming this weekend, you noticed that Dara Torres of the USA was the goodwill ambassador of the swimming venue.  During one of her races this weekend, she should some class and kindness.  One of the racers was missing.  Dara walked over to the officials to explain the situation and to make sure the race was held up until the woman returned.

At issue was her swimsuit.  It ripped, which seems to be common with the new swimsuits everyone is wearing.  Dara wanted to make sure everyone got to race, including the woman from Sweden.  When the swimmer returned, Dara greeted her.  And, then everything got serious.

In the interview afterward, she commented that while they are all competitors in the pool, they are friends outside the pool.  At 41, you could see a little bit of that “Mom” attitude in Dara.  She was just making sure everyone got their chance.

The only name you needed to know in the 100m hurdles was Lolo Jones.  She was the person to beat.  Then Lolo Jones hit the second to last hurdle, lost her footing, and stumbled across the finish line out of metal contention.

Another American cross the finish line first only she didn’t know it.  Dawn Harper ran across the finish line, looked up at the board, then yelled “What?” over and over and over.  Disbelieve was written all over her face.  It wasn’t until another American hurdler came over to tell her she had one the race that it started to sink in.

Harper still couldn’t grasp the magnitude of her win at the press conference for the gold medal winner.  She couldn’t talk and broke down in tears.

Doesn’t anyone else have this problem?  The Women’s Marathon makes me cry.

I watched most of the marathon on TV.  For hours we followed Constantina Tomescu as she took a larger and larger lead.  Behind her a group kept pace but at a distance.

Then they came up the city streets.  The Bird’s Nest Stadium was in sight.  Tomescu was the first to make the turn that took her down the road to the stadium.

When Tomescu entered the stadium, I tear rolled down my cheek.  I don’t even know who Tomescu is.  But, to run so far and then to finally make it to that last lap is such an achievement.

After Tomescu, a other runners came in.  After that grueling run, they then had to sprint the final lap to secure their spot on the podium.

But, I didn’t really break down until the woman who had the injury entered the stadium.  To see her running in pain just so she could get across the finish line was truly remarkable.

I don’t really know where they find the strength.  Most of the runners know they won’t be anywhere near the medal ceremony.  Yet, they get out their and run in the rain just for the glory of doing it.  I think that is the real Olympic spirit.