metanoia's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One Foot I have a theory. So what else is new? But, I have a theory. I call it the �One Foot� theory. Perhaps it is not a theory, exactly. More like words to live by, a theoretical credo, if there is such a thing. I can trace its beginning to a warm spring day in Los Angeles, probably 1967 or 68. As part of our education by the Los Angeles City School District, we were required to run (or walk) around the track one time to fulfill certain high school curriculum criteria. Most of the girls in my gym class were appalled that they were even asked to do such a thing. But, we had to do it to pass the class. The Mexican girls said they would do it, but they were going to walk, not run, because they did not want to get sweaty � they had elaborate hairdo�s (they were called �hair-girls�) and the locker room did not have the facilities to repair the damage to their �do�s�. The showers were also just a big room with shower heads everywhere. We were required to shower or get marked down on our grades. The hair-girls would go in the shower, but they would not get wet� hee Anyway, back to the One Foot Credo/Theory -more of a credo. My best friend, Voula, was Greek. She was an inspiration to me in so many ways. My friendship with her made me a better person. In fact, her advice is the basis for this credo. We were inseparable at the time, and so we were on the track together and waiting to begin. Vou was athletic, in the tradition of the Spartans, and so was undaunted by the run around the track edict. She was ready to do it. I was with her. I was with her, until about halfway around it when I began to get short of breath. I wanted to stop. �I can�t do it!�, I wheezed. �Yes. You can.�, she said. �No, I really can�t. I�m gonna stop! You go on.� �No! I won�t leave you, frin (we called each other frin � short for friend). Keep going.� �I can�t. How do you do it? I have to stop.� Back and forth for not too long (because I was short of breath and going to stop). She said to me: �I just put one foot in front of the other. I only think about that one foot. I just say to myself one foot in front of the other. Do it!� And so, I completed the god damned track. And I did it by repeating my new mantra for each step: �One foot in front of the other�, which became toward the end, �One foot, one foot, one foot, etc.� I still use this little tip for everything in my life. Whenever I feel like quitting or stopping because the going gets hard. One foot. One foot. She was a good friend. I am sure she does not realize the service she did for me that day, beyond the immediate one of my finishing the track thing. She gave me a method for strengthening my personal resolve, a respect and faith in myself that I was lacking, for whatever reason. So many of the good things about me, I got from her. I raise my foot to you, frin. My one foot. 9:00 a.m. - 2004-03-18 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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