Be There or Be Square

Thursday was an interesting day. First, I did my final taper swim before Saturday's Pool Fools. The sky was pretty dark, so I went inside and swam an easy 1,100 in the little pool. That got my day started right. At home, I stopped after two cups of coffee, and at work I did not drink a one.

At school, we had a truncated class due to the fact that I was speaking at Kiwanis/Lions at noon. Of course the students were furious at having to get out a little early. They always are. I left campus at 11:35 which put me at the Country Club about 12 minutes till. Perfect. Jerry Ables was out, so Richard Beatty introduced me. The club always asks for an intro and this is what I wrote:

Ever since June of 2012 when he made his first marathon swim to raise funds for diabetes charities, Zane Hodge has been known around here as the village idiot. Every year about this time, the idiocy comes out of him. His swimming exploits have gone from crazy to crazier. Why does he do these things? Why won’t he stop? What’s wrong with him? Friends and relatives have tried to reel him in. Pastors have tried to counsel him. An intervention was attempted, but failed. Therapists made an effort. But he keeps on doing stupid stuff. His wife say, “He just will not obey.”

His wife has also grudgingly concedes that he will never change. The pastors who counseled him say they still pray for him, but secretly some admit that they also have given up hope in his transformation. The therapist who plied his mind say he has Pain-Wish Syndrome and that there is no cure for this mental illness. By having him here today, we are enablers, encouraging him to continue his madness. But what else is there to do in a town this size?

Village idiots, however, serve important functions. First, they show us how normal our lives really are. That is a comfort to some and a challenge to others. Second, they provide a sense of wonder in our world, something that is often lost in childhood. Wonder makes life interesting, provides that spark of excitement that even a good cup of coffee sometimes fails to deliver. Third, they provoke us to pity. Pity is a good thing as it softens our hearts and makes us more attuned to the needs of others. Finally, they serve as scapegoats. Through their suffering, we often feel like we get to escape some of our own. That might not be true-- that we escape our suffering-- but it’s a nice to think so.

Today, we are here once more to enable the idiot, to see what suffering he has planned for himself this year. Pretend this is helping you because if you have diabetes it might. If you don’t have diabetes, let the idiot challenge you to do better: to exercise more, to eat less, and to watch your weight. Remember, village idiots serve an important function.

Richard didn't read it. Not one word. Yes, he had it. I saw it.

Lunch out there is always good, but I never eat enough. When I am up to speak, I don't want a full stomach. Anyway, I reviewed last year's Crazy Man Quadrathon, how the day went, and how the fundraising went. Then I told them about Pool Fools, who has exrpessed interest in swimming, and who has told me he or she was. They, the Kiwanis, made a donation. This makes three, maybe fours years in a row they have let me present the fundraiser to them.

After that, I went by Barry Brewer's to pick up the T-shirts. They weren't ready. What else is new? Forrest wanted to ride a little early, so I knew I was in for a tight afternoon. Sure enough, the shirts were ready right before I needed to leave for Money. I got them, and they look good. Then I went home, got my bicycle, and raced out the road. We cycled 22 miles. 

At the vehicles, he asked me how I felt. I said, "I am medium well done." He wanted more, so I followed him in my truck. I had no idea how much I was slowing him down. He was doing 18 all the way out Waley Road. About a mile or more from the road coming back, he stopped and asked me to pull him in. This made me very proud because he had never done anything like that. In the past, when we encountered a tractor, he always refused to jump on. In fact, it happened that very day. We passed a Johne Deere pulling a dirt scraper, I turned around and got in behind him. Not Forrest. So when he asked me to pull him in, I knew either he was growing more confident and daring, or he trusted me enough to ride my bumper. I hit a consistent 20 to 21 and he never even grimaced. He made his dad proud.

Thus ended my activity for the day. Poor Pee Wee. When I put my bicycle up, I could tell he had missed me. But I am letting my muscles recover. Saturday 8:30 to 1:00 at Twin Rivers is Pool Fools. Be there or be square.