Beyond the Blog: The Carolinas CAN Ruck For Autism

First thing in the morning, facing the music for the day   It is September 9, just over three months after completing the Ruck.  As I write this, I am recognizing that it is unlikely I will ever experience anything as epic as that last day, at least with regards to physical and spiritual challenges over an extended period of time.  It is a tough thing to contemplate, to know that you are done , and the temptation to think of the next big thing is great.  But I would not put my family through that again, nor would I ever ask the friends who volunteered so much time and effort to ever step up to the plate again.   The feelings I have about this day are of completeness , moreso than a sense of pride.  It is the recognition of all things coming together, with the Ruck being one part of an entire event that united so many people for a single mission.   I also felt extreme relief at having finished the challenge and not let anyone down...donors, CAN, and aut...

We haven't changed much. Right. A beautiful morning to set off for an all-day hike. 30 years later.   If I hadn’t been exhausted beyond all reckoning, this would have been one of my favorite days of the whole event.   It was still pretty awesome, though.  The plan had been all along to have this one day to ourselves, when Cheryl and I could just ruck, walk, whatever it took to get the miles in, on the day of our 25th wedding anniversary.   Those of you who have reached this milestone, and beyond, know how quickly time flows….like a river that gets faster and faster, careening and carving its own course, which is the path of your lives together.   So I won’t bore anyone with the old geezer “seems like yesterday” talk, but it does.  And in the time since this event, we’ve seen our oldest off to college and her absence only underscores the rapidity of our lives.   But there are adventures yet ahead and this river has not yet gone to the ocean!   Ch...