- QIC: The Redwood Originals
- When: 01/01/16
- Pax: Approximately 350 of F3's finest.
- Posted In: Block Party, Clydesdales, Convergence, Flight Plan, Golden Corral, Laces In, Laces Out, Millllkshake, Quagmire, Ring of Fire, Run 'n Gun, Slow Burn, Tempo, The Armory, The Ballroom, The Colosseum, The Fort, The Hive, The Ranch, The Reservation, The Snake Pit, The Swamp, Varsity
(Poorly paraphrased from Dredd that AM): “Well, we [he and OBT] said, we’ll show up and if it’s just us two, then we’ll go do something else, but if they [the other invited Pax] show up, then we might have something and we’ll see where it goes…” (emphasis added)
That was 5 years ago. Now, we’re celebrating a new year, and we’re celebrating the 5 year anniversary (birthday?) of F3. Clearly, they had something…
As approximately one Pax for every day of the year crawled out of their clowncars and onto what may have been the wettest field I’ve ever been on, the energy was palpable. Friends from all over F3 Nation were reconnecting and new ones were being made, including an FNG from The Fort who apparently EH’ed himself (welcome Speaker)… There were smiling faces and shovel flags everywhere. The fun had started, but before long, it was time for the workout to begin…
As you can imagine, attempting to lead a group of 365 Pax is… well… ridiculous. It’s a little amusing to me that part of the whole reason Dredd and OBT broke off from the other workout group to create F3 was because the size of the group had become problematic and unwieldy. So, how should we celebrate 5 years of F3? Well, let’s see if we can’t have the most problematically-sized group come together and let’s try and make them follow instructions. (*COUGH* *GASP* *COUGH* You’ll have to excuse me, I’m choking a little on the irony…) Regardless, though, we warmed up, Dredd split us up into groups, and off we went. The workout, the “thang”? It was in there… We rotated through stations… there was some running, some ladders, some dips, some derkins, hills, burpees (of course), some other stuff… Was it the best workout I ever had? Well, it wasn’t the worst one for sure. But if you came for the workout, you may have overlooked what was happening.
As always, there were a couple of guys who were definitely there to prove they were fitter than the rest of us. That’s cool, you’re welcome here. There were a couple of guys who were clearly struggling to keep up at all. That’s cool, you’re welcome here. There were guys who wear blue collars all week long. That’s cool, you’re welcome here. There were guys whose net worth is that of a small country in certain parts of the world. That’s cool, you’re welcome here, too. Black, white, fast, slow, tall, short, rich, poor, fat, thin… all irrelevant. Welcome is what you are when you are here. It is this way because for that one hour, we all look basically the same (you know the uniform…) so you don’t know who is rich or poor or otherwise. For that one hour, we all basically act the same (unless you are Apache), we’re here to workout and fellowship a little. No one is elected, there is no hierarchy, no one is grading your performance… You know what it is? It’s because for that one hour, I believe, we are about as free as we can be in our modern, over-technologized, overcommitted, over-everythinged lives. We’re free from roles that weigh us down, free from the constraints that life and the world put on us… We’re just free to BE. That’s why we plant a flag, hustle, then take a knee at the end to give thanks to the SkyQ. That’s why we are proud to call ourselves a part of the Brotherhood of Minivan Centurions.
So, we converged, because I think somewhere deep inside we wanted to show our gratitude for this thing that has meant so much to us. Partly to God for leading us to it (or it to us, whichever), partly to the Redwood Originals for starting and sticking with it until it got to us, and partly to each other for continuing to push us to make ourselves more of what we were put here to do. I think that we came because there is strength in knowing and then physically seeing the fact that we are clearly not alone in this battle we fight. That at every turn, there is a man in a black shirt and running shoes that will help if needed.
Again, paraphrased very poorly from Dredd (right before the Ball of Man): “So now our job is to give it away. To share what has meant something to us. Because there are guys out there right now that you know who are crappy fathers, guys who are crappy husbands about to lose their marriages. There are guys who are crappy employees, or are otherwise just dissatisfied with their lives… and YOU CAN SAVE THEM.” (again, emphasis added)
To quote the immortal Forrest Gump: That’s all I have to say about that…
Until the next one…
Helmet, out.
Awesome backblast my brother. You are a true him of himhood and I’m blessed with this F3 thing and the brothers I get to surround myself around and even to the future brothers that needs the gloom of f3nation and we need to EH or turkey punch every sad clown in town
Thanks again my friend.
Aye Apache
Great BB Dark Helmet. Your paraphrasing was right on the money. That was the message F3 wants to have! Outstanding, and it was fun riding with you and Longshanks to the Ultra Convergence. Great 2nd F.
Aye Brother. Your paraphrase is far better than my actual words. Thanks for a great BackBlast.
Homage.
As I write these words my faith tradition is in the process of celebrating a great journey of “homage” in which three well-to-do King-type fellows traveled for months to pay homage to a newborn. These fellows did not HAVE to make this journey of homage. Frankly, life would’ve likely proceeded along as usual for this newborn whether nor not they showed up… BUT life was richer for their homage. Just an hour ago I left our weekly faith gathering at Isotope’s Men of Purpose hut. Dredd traveled all the way north of 10th Street to lead our discussion today. He put in considerable study and travel to do a good job. Our MoP would have gone on as usual without Dredd’s act of homage, but we would have all been a little lesser had it not occurred. 363 men did homage by coming to the big 5 year convergence. Some traveled from far away. Sure the converge would’ve occurred without them, but their act of homage – of respect – made the event better in every way. I’m seeing that paying homage is a good thing. It’s a win-win, and F3 men are experts at homage-ing. Aye.
Proud to be part of such an incredible group of men.
That was simply awesome.
Big thanks to the Redwood originals for starting this “thing” we have all come to enjoy so much!
I would be lost without F3. I believe God is using F3 to mold me into the man that He wants me to be. There is no time for daydreaming, no time for sad clowning. Now is our time. We men are answering the call. The call to be better than average, the call to be REAL men. It is easy to coast through life and put on the facade that life is perfect. We all know life is never perfect. F3 allows us to embrace our “non-perfect” lives and attempt to make us better men, not perfect men, there was only one of those.
I have been a part of F3 for over 2 years now and when I look back I am amazed at the changes in my life. But what amazes me more is the amount of men in my life that I can truly call my friend. These men inspire me, challenge me, support me, teach me, criticize me. Before F3 I thought I knew what Iron Sharpens Iron meant. I was wrong. For Iron to Sharpen Iron, men have to get close to each other. They need to know each other. They have to want to challenge each other. F3 offers the environment for this to happen.
So lets do as our Nantan suggests and give the gift of F3 to every man! They all need it!
Well, men… I missed being with the PAX New Year’s morning, especially during the last half of my workout when you guys usually encourage me to push just a bit more; sounds like it was fantastic. I was there in spirit at the Glenloch Rec Center parking lot in Peachtree City, GA @ 0700. Put in what I considered a decent effort (came close to “splashing merlot” … must have been those hors d’oeuvres from New Year’s Eve… or was it that last round of Homer-to-Marge-to-Burnside-to-Marge-to-Homer’s?) Will be in touch about kicking something off down here soon. It’s an honor to be a citizen of the F3 Nation. Bill Brown, RedRyder, 57. Aye!