Fat Man Running

I have never actually met my friend I refer to as Pennsy. To some he is Bob, to others he is Robert, but to me he is Pennsy. We are virtual friends who met on The Motley Fool. The Motley Fool is an online community of people learning about investors. Any Fool will tell you though, the majority of time is spent on the non-financial boards, posting and commenting on a wide range of topics. I have been a member of "The Fool" for over a decade.

I met Pennsy on the Christian Fools Board. This is a board where mostly people argue about the role of religion on the social issues of our day. You can imagine how I fit into the group. In a sea of turmoil, Pennsy's words were always calm, occasional humor, and always showed a deep and meaningful faith.

A few years ago Pennsy announced he had Cancer. As he went through his treatments, he retreated from posting at The Fool. I was very glad though that we became friends on Facebook. His doctors were not an overly optimistic bunch. He can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they gave him 50-50 chance of survival.

Pennsy took those odds and battled back. In reading his blog, "Fat Man Running" you learn that he not only battled Cancer, but everything associated with it. He battled the financial stress, which after reading his blog, you understand how much getting better costs. He and his beloved wife, Mrs. P, faced the trials and tribulations of Cancer together.

On the road back, Pennsy took up running. Occasionally he would ask me questions, and I was always happy to answer and give advice. Little did I know running became a much larger part of his life. As it as with me, running has transformed Pennsy. If you look at the two pictures of him on his blog.....

http://pennsyrunning.blogspot.com/

You will see what a transformation took place.

Pennsy has worked hard, beaten back Cancer, and this last weekend ran his first marathon in Pittsburgh. He ran this as a fundraiser for LiveStrong at the Y, a program at his local YMCA. For anyone who donated, he wrote their name somewhere on his body, so they would be with him on the 26.2 mile journey. Mark and I were listed on his left arm. :-)

I am so proud of Pennsy. He is an example of taking life when it is at its worst, and really giving it a kick back and moving ahead. One of my running goals is to run a race with him. I hope I get that chance one day.

Please take some time to read his blog. It is an inspiration.

God Bless Pennsy and Mrs. P.

Charlie