I know it's long but please read.

There's something about sports that brings people together. Even for those who say they hate sports and can just never get into it, you still do, I've seen it, I see it everyday. How about the wife who just can't understand why her husband watches NASCAR every week, in fact doesnt just not UNDERstand it, she just plain can't stand it! There's the story that the second counselor in my Bishopric told me one week about a month ago, he says: "you know Gavin I have an addiction that happens once every two years. It's the Olympics. It doesn't matter what sport it is, I love it! my wife and family will have gone to bed hours ago and there I will be sitting on the couch glued to the T.V. till midnight. My wife just doesn't understand the point in it." Well I think she understands better than he thinks. The reason there is a sport for everyone is the life's of those competing. Its hardly about the sport, in fact I'd almost say its never about the sport itself. Sports are about emotion, about anguish, about pain, about triumph, about anger, about peace, about death, about life, no matter what the objective or emotion it is always portrayed in the lives of those competing. No matter what the sport, we find someone to love, we find someone to relate to. Such was the case with Connor Davison.

My camera and I had the unique privelage of being at the Eastern Idaho Winter Special Olympics a little over a month ago. Not only have I never been to the Special Olympics, but I have never given it even a second thought. My sweetheart of a girlfriend signed us up. Like always, whenever I venture someplace new I have my camera in tow. As I get there and she checks in, the head lady says "Great, you brought your camera!" uh...why yes I did, little did she know that this was not exactly abnormal. "Will you PLEASE go around and take pictures for us, we didn't get anyone to do it!" Sure I thought, thats a no brainer. I walked around slowly taking candids of the volunteers and the athletes really thinking nothing of it. I heard some commotion coming from the center of the event so i left my place at the cross country skiing event and walked over to see what was going on. It was a snowshoe race. A very intense race i might add. These athletes with their faces big with smile were all about fun and competition, two attributes i previously thought unable to exist within one body. As I saw the ten year old little boy leap from his starting position and begin sprinting as fast as his ten year old legs would carry him, I couldnt help but get excited about life as I watched there faces.

I sat there at this event for about 15 minutes and was getting ready to leave. As I turned away I heard the whistle blow, beaming my attention back to the starting line. I watched the 6 racers sprint down the course only to see one young man struggle along slowly. I suddenly had a swelling feeling that told me that this was MY athlete. Remember from the beggining? I mentioned that everyone picks one face out of the crowd, That face they follow the rest of the event, laughing when they laugh, cheering when they speed up, sinking as they begin to slow. Connor Davison was that for me. I picked up my camera from around my neck and began snapping shots of this young man. Long had the bulk of the athletes passed as Connor came barreling by me; his poor, pigeon toed soul really struggling. Suddenly his bulky snowshoes strapped to his already unorthodox feet bean to fumble. Down he went. Rarely have I ever been moved to tears like I was that day! "Get up!" I cried in my heart! "You can do this!" Not a moment of embarrassment flashed in his young eyes, with a smile on his face he slowly maneuvered his feet straight and made his ascent back to being upright. Thinking he was good to start running he took the first step. Little did he know his shoe had become unhinged. Down he went again. You could tell, this one had hurt. With a pinch of anguish he pushed off his hands only to fall once more. As his fellow athletes had by now made it to the finish line, they're attention turned from celebrating their finish, to their fallen brother. He was in pain. His legs were twisted in a jumbled mess. One foot was actually by now twisted completely around. I winced just watching him. The snowshoes were too heavy to maneuver in the position he was in. As I stepped on to the track to help him, "DON'T!" barked the Special Olympics Rep. "if you help him, he will be disqualified!" My heart sunk watching this little boy writhe in pain. He finally got up, ran for half the way and fell again.

By now his fellow athletes had made their way back to Connor bent on helping him to the finish line. I ran down the course along the crowd of people beginning to line the track. His Competitors, his Friends, were helping him up. I couldn't help but be moved by the sight I was beholding. The lesson i learned that day was an eternal one. These young men and young women taught me an invaluable lesson. IT IS NOT IN THE WINNING THAT ONE IS MADE A CHAMPION, ITS IN THE FINISHING! This was a new concept to me but something that had been held by these fine individuals for they're whole lives. They saw were the true meaning was, they saw it better than me. Suddenly my head began to spin. I looked into peoples faces I saw the events going on around me and I saw emotion. I saw Life. I saw pain. I saw energy. I saw beauty. "O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder Consider all the works Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,Thy power throughout the universe displayed."
I never saw Connor before that day, niether have I seen him since. But if I do, i will be sure to thank him for his incredible performance in that race. I will thank him for teaching me. I will thank him for showing me that it's not in the winning, It's about the finishing, and how you finish. This is the purpose of sports. Not exercise, not discipline, not procrastination, but allowing people to catch a glimpse at a life other than their own, and be changed forever.

Four hundred and sixty seven...

I have made it somewhat of an evening ritual on some nights throughout the week to go for a run. I go the same route on my run almost every time, I head south for a couple blocks until I get to the next cross street and head west and run for as long as I can. I'm chasing the sun. As the sun continually sets over the mountains I run faster, almost as if I'm trying to catch up to it, pleading for the light to remain even for just a moment longer, for the light helps us see plainly, keeps us from falling and makes things unmistakable. At times of stress, concern or serious problems in my life, I run. It calms me. It cools me down and clears my head. Sometimes that's exactly what I need, actually its always what I need. But, you can chase the light for only so long before the light is gone, you stop, turn around, and your left to face the darkness. It doesn't go away, it will always overtake you in your flight, so all that's left to do is be brave, turn and head back into it, facing it with everything you have.

love your life, Poor as it is...

Invictus

"It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishment the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul."
-William Ernest Henley

Here's To You...

Here's to you Mr. Lazy, Do nothing at work and get paid for it guy...because if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't dread going to work. So, again...Here's to you!

This is what happens on a regular day. He sat in this position for an hour. reading a book and talking on the phone...how you do both, I have no idea...

cold, dark classroom

So I have this class at 7:30 in the morning that I really struggle going to. I mean I will be up really late reading or doing homework and then have to drag myself to this class. Consequently if any of my classes are skipped...it's this one. So after a couple times missing it this month, I turn over a new leaf! that's right class, you and me, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Never again will my bed and I get that extra hour of alone time, No...a new day is dawning! Well with that in mind, I am sitting on my couch in my apartment right smack dab in the middle of that class. Yes, I did get up, in fact I was quite chipper this morning, i even went as far as to eat breakfast! Whoa right! i know. well I walk in to the building and open the door to my classroom to find nothing, a cold dark classroom. CANCELED!?!?! REALLY?!?! All that energy spent when my next class isn't until 9:45 now. Well, either way, I'd rather be the boob who shows up when know one else does than be the one that doesn't show up when everyone else does. So much for being chipper...

I now pronounce you man and blog...

Well, I swore everyday of my life that I would never get a blog. It was last on my to-do list for my life. It was right behind learn about Curling and dye my hair purple...well, I've now gotten a blog and have also learned to love Curling. I have a pretty strong feeling that the purple hair will stay at the back of the line.
I got this blog for two reasons really. The first is to use it as a means for creative expression...well at least what little creativity I have running through my veins. I have always loved Photography and Art and Writing, but am really no good at it, and where I'm at in my life right now really doesn't involve much of any of those, so this is my one way to express that. My second reason is a little more of a complicated one. The older I get, the more important being a part of my families life is to me. And because my family is terrible with phones, myself included... maybe in some way this blog can give my family a glimpse into my life and what I do from day to day. Either way, I welcome MYSELF into blogging and hope for a successful relationship between Blogging and I!