Into the Wild DVD

Okay, I’ll admit it. I didn’t sift through any piles to dig something up for today’s scan. I still have a lot to choose from, and didn’t have time to pick. I was heading out for the weekend and packed this DVD to maybe watch with my friends. With the New Year coming, I welcome inspiration. And the story of Christopher McCandless inspires me.

If you haven’t checked out the Into the Wild book, movie, or soundtrack,I highly recommend. It’s a story that teaches us what the most important things in life are. (Hint: It’s not the stuff we own) The soundtrack by Eddie Vedder is almost as inspirational as McCanless’ courageous journey.

Looking forward to another fun holiday weekend with awesome family and friends…

15-40.org Brochure from Evo

Even though it’s right around the corner from me, I had never been to Evo before. After a very tasty black bean burger lunch, this brochure was included with the bill.

My friend Jodi thought I was kidding when I opened it and said, “Hey, I wrote my cancer story for that website.”

But My 15-40 Story is there on the 15-40 website, along with other 15-40 stories.

Like it says on the brochure, improvements in the cancer survival rates for teens and young adults have remained nearly 0% since 1975.

Two constant reminders of this statistic are guys I knew from Saint John’s and Westboro. My friend Danny Manning graduated with me in 1992 and lost his battle with cancer when we were juniors in college. I knew Greg Montalbano from Westboro and Saint John’s, and he passed away two years ago. I think about Danny and Greg every day, and they inspire me to do whatever I can to fight back against cancer.

Doing your part is easy, especially if you’re 15-40 years old – it’s all in the brochure:

Miracle DVD

Yes, I do.

And in case you didn’t hear, we’ll be having a midnight showing (with a sound system and projector) of this movie at Skating for Hope at midnight!

Do You Believe in Miracles? DVD

Welcome to my week of inspiration through hockey in the movies…

When I was walking down the stairs to start my shift at Hope Lodge tonight, I could feel the stress of wanting every last detail of Skating for Hope to be already taken care of. Then, I thought of the reason I wanted to do the whole thing – all of the Hope Lodge guests past and present. I thought of the challenges they have to put up with on a daily basis, and how any worries I have about the skate-a-thon really don’t compare to the stress of dealing with cancer. I thought of those guests who have lost their battles with cancer. My stress of planning the event soon passed, and I was reminded that my initial goal for Skating for Hope was only that I skate 24 hours for Hope Lodge. That’s already happening, and now I have a lot of other people supporting the event along with me.

Even with the inspiration from Hope Lodge guests and support from everyone, I think during the nights this week I will be looking for more inspiration from my collection of hockey movies. First up tonight is the documentary (yes, I’m a documentary dork) about the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team titled Do You Believe in Miracles?. Although I don’t remember specifics of watching the games that year, I do remember running around with my older brother Jon and singing “We are the Champions” over and over (something I wouldn’t do again until BC Hockey won a national title in 2001). It was a big year for me…US won Olympic hockey gold, and The Empire Strikes Back came out. Off to get inspired by some college kids who beat the best hockey team in the world…

Do I believe in miracles? Yes!

Skating for Hope Donation Check ($240!)

Do you get those moments when you wonder if what you’re doing makes a difference, if anyone is paying attention, or if anyone really cares? I’ve definitely had some of these regarding my Skating for Hope event, and either they pass or something like this happens – I get a check from former Hope Lodge guests who pledged me $10 for every hour I am going to skate. Not that I needed additional motivation, but now I definitely need to make it through the whole 24!

Thanks for this great donation, and thank you to everyone who is helping me out with SFH!!!!

Note from Kindergarten Teacher

Although I’ve written a lot about how my family and friends have been there for me during my challenging times, my teachers have played another huge role in my life.

They taught me how to read, write, question, do math, and think about a world beyond my own. They encouraged me when I did well, and let me know when I wasn’t performing up to my potential. Most of them reinforced a very important lesson that I was also receiving at home: treat others well and fairly.

When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s and cancer, all of my teachers at Saint John’s were very supportive and understanding. Even teachers I had before I was at SJ sent me cards to let me know they were thinking about and praying for me. Today, I got this note from a person who taught me 30 years ago. Even without a donation to Skating for Hope, this note is pretty amazing, and definitely inspirational. But 30 years later, my kindergarten teacher is supporting me with words and a donation.

I wish the news had more stories like this, instead of those filled with violence and people not helping others.

Thank you to all of the teachers who have helped me, supported me, and inspired me. I hope all of the current teachers out there are enjoying the start of their well-deserved summer vacation and thank you to my kindergarten teacher sending me such a kind note and supporting Skating for Hope!

Greg's Field Dedication Ceremony Program (6/12/10)

Last year’s dedication and renaming Upton Road field to “Greg’s Field” last year was really awesome and inspiring. Most of my family was there, and seeing my friend Mike (Greg’s cousin) with his daughter (who for some reason loves me) made it that much better. Oh yeah, my nephew also played in the first game!

I think of Greg every day, and want to be more like him in my efforts to fight cancer and in the way I live. He is an inspiration to everyone that knew him, and the plaque at Greg’s Field will assure that every Little Leaguer who plays there will know about him.

It was a wonderful job by all the committee members and everyone who contributed to this dedication ceremony.

Here is some of the video from that day:

Eddie Vedder and Indifference Lyrics

This was one of the many things I had up on my door in college. Indifference is one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs, and I identify with this line in particular when it comes to never giving up…

To see more things I had up on my door in college, you can go here, here, here, here, and here.

Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning

If you’ve never read this book, it’s well worth the $6.99 on Amazon.

Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist from Austria who was forced into a Nazi concentration camp in 1942. This book is ½ about his experiences there, and ½ about the form of therapy (logotherapy) he developed while imprisoned.

What’s amazing about his story is how he found meaning in life surrounded by tremendous suffering. He and the other prisoners still laughed and joked with each other under those horrible conditions. He discovered how his thoughts (of his wife, who was killed in another camp) were more important than the tragic situation he was in. He describes: “A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth -- that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way—an honorable way—in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment.”

So many lessons can be taken away from this book. If you are having a bay day, Frankl’s words are strong reminders that the love we have in our life is more important than the things we have or the stressful situations we might be in. He teaches us that everyone’s life has meaning, and even people who feel their life has no meaning can make good of whatever life has dealt them. And, he shows how attitude can go a long way when it comes to surviving any hardship.

Even though I’ve never been forced into a slave-labor camp, I can draw parallels with things I have suffered though and Frankl’s book. Even though my experience with Crohn’s, cancer, and drinking were all very difficult, I’m glad I went through them. They made me who I am, and they allow me to relate with and hopefully help people who are going through similar struggles.

People have asked me how I plan to skate and play hockey for 24 hours straight. I tell them that a lot of it is going to be mind over body. If I start getting tired or achy, I plan on thinking about Viktor. I will think about Justin, Danny, Greg, and all the Hope Lodge guests who have passed away over the 4 years I’ve been here. They have all given me meaning to my life, and they are going to keep me going…