What is my excuse?

Let's kick off Monday with some good news. 

A 42 year old Frenchman swam across the English Channel this weekend. That fact alone is outstanding. Even as an athlete, swimming is not necessarily my gig. I can swim but have never swam 4 pool lengths, or across a lake, and most certainly not across the English Channel. But Philippe Croizon did and to that alone I say, "CHEERS!"

But, Philippe is not your ordinary man who likes to swim like a fish. Philippe is a quadriplegic. Sixteen years ago, he was electrocuted by a powerline and all of his limbs needed amputation. While in recovery, he saw a documentary about a swimmer crossing the Channel and suddenly, he had a new goal. 

So he trained for two years and finished the challenge only slightly slower than other athletes might. And he reported, dolphins swam along with him for a portion of the time.

The father of two said he wanted to complete the dare "for myself, my family and all my fellows in misfortune who have lost their taste for life".

Well, if that is not kick ass, I don't know what is. Bravo to you Philippe for not merely  completing the "dare" but also reminding us how incredibly important it is to have that taste for life.

So when you consider your own goals, do you need to dust them off a bit? Or are those goals pinned to the forefront of your life? Some of mine are pinned to the forefront but one goal is so dusty, I almost don't recognize it. Time to let it shine. Because if a man with no limbs can swim across the English Channel, what is my excuse?  

And thank you Philippe. You made my day. This is exactly the type of bad-assery I like the most.

'Atta Baby!

Several things I know about 3 year olds: 

They love Cheerios.

They love Mickey Mouse.

They certainly like to wake up early.

They love talking about body parts. Loudly. In public.

They love Springsteen, Petty, Buffett, and U2 (at least ours does & all of them should, right?)

They love the word WHY and use it incessantly.

They can save your life. 

I did not realize the last item until reading about Alesaundra Tafoya, a toddler in Northern Cali. Last Friday, while playing at home, her Father collapsed. Alesaundra walked several blocks to the Manteca Fire Department and asked the Firefighters to come to her home. She told them her Father was "frozen" and would not get up.

Firefighters took her home immediately and upon arriving, took her Father to the ER. Medical personnel said without this prompt attention, Mr. Tafoya would have died. The Fire Captain said in 20 years he had never witnessed an ER call made by a toddler.

Her parents have been teaching her about precaution and safety. Said her mother, "She has been listening...and that is good."

I hope this is a situation we never find ourselves in, but should we, I hope we have not only taught our son what to do but instilled in him the confidence and wherewithal to act independently. 

'Atta baby, Alesaundra.  Bravo for you for this happy ending. You did something so much larger than you could possibly understand now. Precisely the kind of good news I love.

Have a fantastic weekend.