My Greatest Accomplishment

In my life I like to rank the things I am most proud of in terms of their level of difficulty. The more difficult something is to do, will, in general place it higher on my list. Well last night I attained the crowning achievement (to date) of my short but ever so fulfilling life. Ever since that blessed/cursed day on December 10th, 2005 when I completed the White Rock Marathon, (my first and ONLY marathon to date) I have always said that running THAT marathon was the hardest thing I had ever done in my entire life. Because of this it has also been the thing I am most proud of. The perseverance and pain it took to put in the long hours of training and to keep going those last 3 miles when ever step sent a jolt of pain up my left leg are exactly what made it worthwhile. See nothing that is worth anything comes without a price. And yes you can quote me on that.

In hindsight it was a dumb idea to do that marathon. I know it now. I was only 16 and didn't decide to do until what? Less then two months out I think? But hindsight is 20/20 and the self confidence that race gave me is irreplaceable. It's not the confidence of having others admire my achievement. I don't crave the recognition of others. Its meaningless to me. No one who has ever done a marathon can truly appreciate the significance of that achievement. There is a saying that goes- "Trying to explain a marathon to someone who has never done one is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind." How poignant, how true. Sure people can be impressed but they don't REALLY KNOW. And that's alright with me. Because its not what others think that matters, it's what I know, in my heart. I know that I had to dig deeper in that race then ever before. Never before have I had to so totally commit to something. Never has perseverance been so real. Never have I been challenged on so many levels. Until now.

Now I consider the marathon my second greatest achievement. The hardest thing I have ever done in my life was achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. And last night, at 8:44 P.M, in a small room in the reference section of Richardson Public Library, I achieved that goal. It took me over 7 years. It wasn't easy, I thought of quitting so many times. The amount of work it took was and is staggering to look at. But just like a marathon you can't look at it all at once. It's to big. And so instead you break it into small bits and pieces. "Just get to this next aid station," "just finish this last merit badge." Baby steps. That's what it takes. Oh sure, I struggled, stumbled, hurt. But somehow I knew, that after completing a marathon, a FREAKIN MARATHON! I couldn't give up. If I could do a marathon, then I could get eagle. I just had to remember that, and keep pressing forward.

Eagle Scout is something no one can take away. Just like a marathon. It's done. Finished. Over. But the self confidence, the pride that it gives me will stay forever. This badge-

can never be taken away. And I will wear it proudly, try to do it justification, for the rest of my life.

"There will be days I know I can't run a marathon, there will be a lifetime knowing that I have." - Anonymous