Last night we went to the John Mellencamp concert here in Indianapolis. First of all, if he is coming to your town - go see him. He is a true rocker, but his songs really resonate. One of his songs on his latest album is "Save Some Time to Dream." The song speaks to the inner voice that tells you to take one day at a time, and make sure you are making the most of each day.
We tend to get lost in our day to day lives that we need some time to appreciate the life we have. Today is my 48th birthday, and this song spoke to me during the concert. I am going to take this time to show some appreciation for people in my life who have made an impact on me. I do not mean to leave anyone out, but I wanted to share some people with you - I mean no slight.
You can't have a list like this unless you have your parents on it. Joe and Nancy Colpaert gave me the foundation for who I am. They taught me right and wrong, and I hope a bit of common sense. I have learned lessons from their successes and their failures. Growing up was not always easy. My family had to cope with the loss of my brother, and never really healed from that. I did learn through that about being strong in the face of adversity.
Anne Colpaert, my sister, has shown me what grace under pressure is. Raising three kids, especially one with Downs Syndrome is a challenge. I know she has her hard times, but she demonstrates so much grace under that pressure. She has such a good heart, and puts that goodness to excellent use every day.
Mark, my partner, and my love. He came into my life when I felt love was not going to be happening for me. We have had so many challenges in our relationship. No one will mistake our life together as easy, but he has the ability to help me cope, and breathe when I need to breathe. In a life full of chaos, the lesson to breathe is an important one. I love him so much.
Chris Runge. I am sure this will shock the heck out of him(if he reads this). He was the very first person I came out to. I was scared. I was not sure if I was ready to talk about being gay, especially since I was not 100% comfortable with who I was, but he put me at ease, and reassured me that I was fine, and nothing in me had changed, I had just learned more about myself. That first coming out experience made it so much easier for me as time went on. I am forever in his debt.
Marshall Shore has taught me about being FABULOUS! I met Marshall while I was Indiana University. We became friends, and to me he is the gay brother I always wanted. He is a truly unique individual, with a sense of style that is a cross between 1945, 1950, 1984, and today - it works trust me. He has been a shoulder when I have needed one. He has been a New York Adventure when I needed one. He has been an all night slumber party when I REALLY needed one - and yes we would stay up and talk about boys. He showed me that there is always time for fun.
Herb Kelleher and Teresa Everheart would not seem like a likely pair. The former CEO of Southwest Airlines, and my former partner in crime at the airline taught me two valuable lessons: have a strong work ethic, and show loyalty to those in your work/personal life. Herb is a man with an incredible gift of humor, but he is all business. Teresa has the best work ethic I have ever seen, and she is the one person you want in your corner when the chips are down.
If the last two people I mentioned taught me about work ethic and loyalty, Bill Morrison taught me that working in tandem is also key to business success. Bill and I are very different. He is just a straight good ol' boy from Missoura, and a bit of a wise ass. Working with him at Fleet Feet though reminded me again and again the importance of team work. You can't be successful in business with are good team. Bill is a terrific teammate. He pitches in and get the job done, and makes sure you are on task as well. He does it all with a smile, and inappropriate joke or two, and a touch of sarcasm. Trust me, it works.
Kay Morris of Marathon Kids has taught me the importance of sharing your passion to better people. She has taken the simple idea of running, and has preached the gospel that through running our children can have a healthier life. She does it all with that Texas charm and determination. She is a model for how you take your idea and transform it into a project which can benefit so many.
Support systems are so important in your life, and while I have many friends and loved ones who support me, I am in awe of Krys Hanson, and her ability to be supportive to so many. She will hug you when you need it; scold you when you need it; feed you when you need it; and just let you be when you need it. While I know how to do all of that, she is a reminder that the people you need in your life are not always the ones who will tell you what you want to hear, anyone can do that. She will tell you, and do for you, what you need.
Mike and Kris Bierman. I have known Kris since my early days at Indiana University. She and her family more or less adopted me. My college years were not always easy, but she was an important part of making them fun. Her family always made me feel welcome and a part of the clan. She met Mike, fell in love, and I had the honor to be part of their wedding. Over the years we have met up at various key moments in our lives. Mike is the guy you can have a beer or glass of wine with and just talk. He is good natured, a devoted family man, and always willing to help a neighbor or loved one. They have three kids who are all incredible.
Lately I am re-learning an important lesson - courage. Mike has been battling Cancer for some time now. He has his good moments, and he has his bad moments. I have never seen fear in his eyes. While he might disagree, he is what courage is all about - facing your hardship head on, and not letting it know it is getting to you. Kris has done her best to match that courage. I know it isn't easy, because she has told me how hard it is. They have strong faith that God will see them through this, no matter what the outcome. That faith can only enhance that courage. I have no idea what the future holds for them. I do know that they are surrounded by love and support, and again, that can only embolden them.
As I said at the start, I am leaving people out, good people who taught me good lessons. But I would be remiss if I did not show some appreciation.
Today we are heading to Bloomington, IN. This will be a profound trip back in time for me. I will write more about this later. For now I leave you with this - life is short, but it should be long enough to have a good life, and to be thankful for not only what you have, but who you have in your life.
Charlie
