The “itch” that wouldn’t go away!

A constant refrain seemed to come through the speeches given at the Dedication Ceremony for the upper body exercise equipment along the Cannon Falls city trail recently.

This was the idea of “persistence”.  More likely they were also thinking: “pesky” or “you’re still bugging about that”?

But the speakers were all too polite!

But they were right.  It’s taken a few years of campaigning to get the exercise equipment along the trail.

In the beginning I considered what I needed to get this accomplished and found I was lacking in many areas.  But I did have “persistence”.  It’s like an “itch” that won’t go away!   And persistence is free.

I had decided not to get a committee together to work on this project.  That could have helped a lot probably.  Or not!   You see I had a “vision” of what I wanted to accomplish and other folks might have had a different one.

And then folks can get to “fussing” with each other.

I only had to fuss with myself.

And I do that very well.

But without a committee...

Keep in mind that without a committe you can make your own rules!   For example: I knew I didn’t want to hold the checks that I received from the  sponsors.  So I told the city not to cash them until I had several pieces of equipment ready to be placed.  

My reason was that I was going to give the sponsors their money back if we didn’t get enough equipment! 

Getting money back from government if a project doesn’t work out?

How cool is that?

(I’m not running for public office but I would include this in my platform!)

Other delays...

Besides my embarrassment and horror when asking people for money to sponsor the equipment, I took time out when my husband was hospitalized or had his own project I was involved in.  

Or more often when I just gave up.

Why get this equipment?

But I had a reason to back this project.  Several years ago I was pretty sick and exhausted.  And it appeared I had to work on myself to get well.

So along with suggestions like using your mind to change your body and eating differently... drinking more water... all those good things... I finally added walking and exercise.

I’m still working at it but am better than when I was younger.

But I really hate being sick and I want to help other people feel better too.  And by getting this equipment along the trail - folks can do this at no extra expense.

 Where did this idea come from?

My encouragement came from growing up in a big city.  There was a park across the street from my home.  For me to run around in... play baseball (I wasn’t the first one chosen!)... fly a kite, etc.

It wasn’t until I was grown up that I realized that someone had planned those parks many years before I was born.

So I started researching the idea of outdoor exercise equipment for adults.

And even though I didn’t have the funds to sponsor such a project... I kept in mind that persistence is free.  (Yes, it can really get boring and feel stupid but just keep the end in sight.)

 Thanks...

Thanks to the guests and speakers at the ceremony.  I treasure your coming because I hoped I wouldn’t be the only one to show up!    And it was great to see folks using the equipment.

Thanks to the encouragement and advice of Cannon Falls Public Works DirectorTom Bergeson, the staff at Flagship Recreation, sponsors Dr. Karl and Cynthia Molenaar, People In Business Care, VFW Post 4452, Mayo Health System Cannon Falls, Kay Molstrom and all those I pestered these past few years!