Sunday, February 12, 2012

Action 014 - Appreciate and Cherish.

The brand spankin' new or the trusted, weathered favorite? It can be tough to choose between the two. Perhaps, then, the wisest choice is to not choose at all. Instead of arbitrarily declaring one as better than the other, why not find a way to recognize them both?

That's the question behind Action 014 - Appreciate and Cherish. Over New Year's Weekend, I had the opportunity to run two back-to-back half marathons in Dallas, Texas. On Saturday, I ran with someone that I knew fairly well online from my fitness site (SparkPeople.com) but had not yet met in person. And the next morning, I ran with a Marine buddy that I first met back in 1986. New and old.



And again this morning, the old and the new were starkly contrasted for me. I ran a half marathon in Palm Springs (more on that later, to be sure) and I walked up towards the starting line and saw my best friend looking around for me. As I got his attention, I saw someone else approach and ask, "John?" It was another member of the same fitness website, and we were meeting each other in person for the first time.


Both times, I took a moment to enjoy the contrast of the two different people. The Marine buddies have known me since I was a young man, and the new people have only known me now as a man in his mid-forties.

Here's where the wisdom comes in. I don't compare the new to the old. They aren't competitors. I appreciate the new people that come into my life and enjoy the possibilities that new friends bring. And I cherish the long-time friendships, knowing that our shared histories and experiences bind us together.

Appreciate and cherish. It is the best of both.

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