Tag: Pot Hole

Honoring Schmalstieg at The Fire Ant

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Taking a page out of the Honey Badger book by using a page out of the Hero Workout book. This day at the Fire Ant, we’d honor Gunnery Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg (December 15, 2010).

First, disclaimer.
Second, minor warmup.
Third, drop to the plank and listen:

Justin grew up in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and graduated high school in 2000. He spent a semester at Penn State before enlisting in the Marine Corps, where he initially trained as a bulk fuel specialist. After serving overseas in Kuwait, Justin was stationed in Okinawa, Japan and was accepted into the Explosive Ordnance Disposal program. He finished the demanding training required to become an EOD technician and completed two deployments in the Middle East.

In 2008, Justin received orders to Camp Pendleton in California to serve with the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group. He deployed twice more, first to Iraq in February 2009 and then to the Helmand province of Afghanistan in September 2010. During a night mission, Justin’s unit was in danger of being ambushed – it was his job to clear the way back to base. Staff Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg, 28, gave his life on December 15 while working to render safe an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his widow, Ann Schneider; his parents, John and Deborah Gilkey; and his brother, John Gilkey Jr. For his service and sacrifice, Justin was posthumously decorated with the Purple Heart and promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

The EOD WArrior Foundation is dedicated to supporting EOD service members and their families through a number of assistance programs. Please consider making a donation in Justin’s name at www.EODWarriorFoundation.org/Memorial/Warrior/Justin-E-Schmalstieg.

So, the WOD would be slightly modified for our Ruck AO to the following:

For Time:
Run 800M Slick (without Ruck)

2 rounds of the following:
50 Burpees (slick)
40 Pull-Ups would be substituted with 80 Upright Rows
30 One-Legged Pistol Squats
20 Ruck Swings
10 Hand Stand Push Ups would be substituted with 10 Carolina Dry Docks & 10 Merkins

Run another 800M Slick (without Ruck)

Once we completed this, we did a few core exercises.

Until next time, SYITG.
Maximus

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Black Diamond at the One Word Convergence

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If you’re going to call it a Black Diamond, well then I owe it to the guys who show up for it to give them a true Black Diamond.  Even if that makes 12 guys hate your guts for 40 min.  They’re mad because it sucks, which they willingly signed up for.  I think the below was sucky and vomitty at times, but we’re all better men because of it.  Here we go:

“Warm-up” – 5 exercises, 5 rep counts, we do 1 exercise every minute on the minute (EMOM).  Translation, the faster you finish the one exercise, the more rest you have until the next minute starts up again.

Minute 1 – 20 burpees (do it, its possible)
Minute 2 – 30 jump lunges
Minute 3 – 40 toe touches
Minute 4 – 50 carolina dry docks
Minute 5 – 60 side straddle hops

From there, we broke into two groups.  I informed the pax that we’d be doing a good old fashioned indian run, but notched up a level since it’s a Black Diamond.  Call it a “competitive” indian run.  3 laps around the full Harris Teeter complex (behind the store and then out to the road near Wendy’s).  Measured the lap online and 1 lap was 0.33 miles.  3 laps = 1 mile Indian run.  Guy in back drops and does 3 burpees and then has to haul a$$ back to the front of the group and the last guy drops again.  Do this for all 3 laps.

One team starts on the far side of the parking lot (near Pizza Hut), the other team starts on the opposite end of the parking lot (Moe’s).  Goal is beat the other team to the finish w/ loser having to burpee broad jump 100 yards.  Since the two groups ran in opposite directions, at one point every lap you had a good feel for how your team was performing vs. the other team and the hope was that it would speed up the laps…you can say it worked.

For the first lap I knew we’d have a better understanding of how competitive this was going to be – we passed the other team coming towards us at the same exact spot in the lap (going opposite direction) and both teams were going hard and I’d say were dead even.  This was the point when things got a bit vomity.  Fast forward 3 laps, and without really seeing the other side of the parking lot, I think team Pizza Hut won it out.  In an effort to compromise and make everyone feel equally terrible, we shared the punishment.  We did about 80 yards of burpee broad jumps, turned around and bear crawled back the 80 yards.

Next up – a Jack Webb spiced up for a Black Diamond.  2 exercises w/ a 1:4 rep ratio, up to 10 reps of the first and 40 reps of the second.  Mack Tar Jai / Jump Squats.  1 mack, 4 jump squats, 2 macks, 8 jump squats.  Somewhere around the 6 mack tar jais and 24 jump squats is when I got the feeling some guys might lay down.  I challenged the pax to give it all they got and finish strong, by doing some sort of rep, even if the jump squat was modified to a squat.  Some needed it, others didn’t.  We all finished.  Final rep count – 55 mack tar jais, 220 jump squats in about 10 minutes.

We had 5 minutes, so as promised, we ended where we started with a repeat of the every minute on the minute (EMOM).  Going down for that first burpee of the 20 in minute 1, after 220 jump squats almost ended me.  Arms went down, legs froze and wouldn’t move.

The Black Diamond takers finished and limped over to CoT to close it out.  Great effort fellas.  My only requirement was to make it harder than most workouts we get on a regular basis, so hopeful it met your expectations.  Until next time!

Cha Ching

 

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Random Pain at Quagmire

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YHC had a busy weekend and no time for winkie writing.  So, just show up and inflict random pain!  Noticed an f3 shirt-wearing HIM but unrecognized.  Eighty Eight is the name, from California. Said PAX lived in Lake Wylie/FM area for a while and moved to CA and mustard seed’ed an AO!  Leadership, AYE!

Quick yet proper disclaimer was given, and a mosey began. Wait, is that Duck Dynasty pulling in? Guess we’ll make a quick lap.  Duck joins, and wait, is that Olaf pulling in? Might as well grab him too!  Off we go for a decent run to an unnamed parking lot. COP had windmills, mountain climbers, produce pickers, werkins, imperial walkers, and a slow lbc with hands & feet touching the ground after each rep. Mosey to the wall between target and home depot.

Split up into two teams. Wall sit while PAX one at a time ran to the other wall, jumped and slapped the wall as high as they could, dropped for 5 merkins, and ran back.  YHC’s team was in an early slump but somehow caught back up FTW. Moseyed to target where we lined up the winners. Each winner chose a partner from the losing team for 2 sets of vacuum cleaners. If you don’t know what they are, you’re lucky. #exicon. Then, kept partner and grouped up about 40 yards apart facing each other. Method of transportation changed, but we met our partner in the middle and knocked out some exercises. Don’t remember exactly what they were but it was cool. Crab walks, bear crawls, crawl bears, burpee broad jumps. Yay.

Next mosey back to the walls for some wall work. Incline on the wall for 10x shoulder taps, followed by feet on the wall for 10x shoulder taps. Wall sit for an apache 10-count for our CA friend eighty eight. BTTW position for 10x double count peter parkers. #crowdpleaser

Mosey to random parking lot for some Captain Thor (thanks Tinsel). Mosey to mattress firm for Jack Webbs. Mosey to Best Buy parking lot for the finale which was 4  lines, bear crawl one at a time to the other end and sprint back for a relay race. Waiting PAX are to do SSH or squats or something to make them better. A little competition never hurt, right?

COT, read newsletter (duh), nessie, prayers for travel, kids, marriages, praise for eighty eight accelerating on vacation (it was like 1-2 am his time). 16 HIM got better on a Monday!

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Your partners name is your workload

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Finally a great temperature this morning! That didn’t stop Lutefisk from dishing out a nasty mid-week beatdown!!! Quick disclaimer and ran to the rear of the school the long way. A nic e little warm-o-rama with your typical windmills, mountain climbers, imperial walkers, lbc’s, merkins, and Superman Moroccan night club combos. Follow up with a quick lap to the location of the thang

The Thang: partner up, size matters but not physical size. After we partnered up,  informed the PAX that it was the size of their partner’s name that mattered. I whipped out a board of pain with all 26 letters of the alphabet with a corresponding rep count and exercise. You are to spell your partner’s F3 name. I put some rock music on and we went after it. It had a little bit of everything. I ended up knocking out 100 burpees. Some pax were up BTTW for a total of 8 minutes. Everyone did a ton of SSH. We all helped poor Uber finish his partners name (Dennis The Menace) then took a lap and a 10-count followed by a mosey back to the pillars. We knocked out one more name “pantheon” before COT.

PAX were smoked, it was a good day.

Prayers needed today for Dennis the Menace’s brother who gets test results today. Prayers for marriage. Prayers for other struggles.

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Making Monday Great Again

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Just another case of the Mondays.  13 of us showed up to get better, including another FNG from Bones named Adam.  We walked him through the disclaimer and then set out to do our warm-up.

Warm-up – quick mosey over to the parking lot in front of office depot and did some quick drills on the parking lines:

  • Run up the lines, side shuffle right, back pedal down line, side shuffle right – repeat all the way down the parking row.  Once you finish, you run around the island and then did #2
  • Turn 90 degrees and do the same thing, so this time you’re doing a side shuffle right for the longer line, back pedaling to the next line behind you, and side shuffling left.  Again, full length, run around the island and then we turned to go hit the real work.

Simple = Hard:  that was the motto, so we did exactly that, we ran about a 1/4 mile down 49 to the corner of 49 and 160 and did our first set –

  • 30 side straddle hops (in cadence – so call it 60) / 15 merkins (in cadence – so 30) / 8 burpees OYO

Started running again, about another 1/4 mile and pulled over on the grass for the second set –

  • 45 side straddle hops (in cadence – 90 kind of sucks) / 23 merkins (in cadence) / 12 burpees OYO

Started running again, about another 1/4 mile, maybe a little more, got in front of Michael’s / Pier One, etc and did the third set:

  • 60 side straddle hops (in cadence – yeah, 120 left me not being able to count as I had no air left) / 30 merkins (in cadence – we stopped half way through to shake it out then finished strong) / 16 burpees OYO

Started running again to the end of the building we were at (in front of Kohl’s), peeled off and did the next set:

  • 15 jump lunges (15 per side) / 15 jump squats / 15 mountain climbers

Kept running, pulled over by the Suntrust bank and did the next:

  • 30 jump lunges (30 per side) / 30 jump squats / 30 mountain climbers

Ran to Buffalo Wild Wings and partnered up for….

  • Partner pushes – partner 2 has his arms on partner 1’s shoulders, is resisting and backing up as slow as they can while partner 1 pushes them.  Each partner did one set the full length of the parking lot
  • Wheel barrows – same, each partner did one rotation the full length of the parking lot

Run to the parking lot in front of Pet Smart and do the last set:

  • No more walking – sprint the length of the parking lot from island to island, jog the width, sprint the next parking lot length, jog, sprint, jog, finish w/ a sprint right in front of best buy and then head to COT.

Final count was 2.3 miles, 270 side straddle hops, 136 merkins, 36 burpees, 45 jump lunges, 45 jump squats, 45 mountain climbers and some partner  pushes / wheel barrows.  Nice little day at the office for the 13 who showed up to get better.  Appreciate you guys being there to encourage each other.  Welcome FNG Shake N Bake (Adam)!  DaVinci had his first respectable name-o-rama which I’m proud to say was at my Q!  It was the loudest “RESPECT” I’ve heard to date.

Cha Ching

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Keep it Simple

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This will probably be the easiest backblast I ever write and it just goes to show, sometimes SIMPLER equals HARDER.

Got the text Sunday following church that we needed a substi-Q for Quagmire and I felt like I really wanted to just run Monday, but miss when I don’t do the boot camps, so what better way than to combine the two.

Let’s get to it:

Dynamic warm-up consisted of a quick mosey to Best Buy where we then lined up and did:

  • power skips half way down the building and then jogged to the end of petsmart
  • side shuffle half way, flip, side shuffle rest of the way
  • karaoke half way, switch, the same
  • back pedaled half way down then jogged to the end end

Did a quick 20 merkins, 20 big boys, 20 peter parker planks (on elbows) and 20 diamond merkins and then we started the real thang.

The balance was something like this:

  • Run a 1/3 of a mile, then do 10 bomb jacks, 15 burpees and 20 pulsating jump squats (half squat, full squat into jump squat = 1), then run another 1/3 mile and do the same 3 exercises / reps and keep doing it until time lol.  We did 4 of those back to back and then took a break to do the following:
  • Partner up at the Verizon by Target – partner 1 runs to rack room shoes (about 1/4 of a mile down) and back while partner 2 does non stop x-crunches (thank you ab app).  The jog was longer than I thought.  1/2 a mile kind of sucked right there.  Sorry not sorry.  65 x-crunches later we switched and partner 2 jogs.
  • From there, we went back to the every 1/3 mile do the 10/15/20 bomb jacks/burpees/pulsating/jump squats until we got back closer to COT.

Ended w/ an all out sprint the length of pet smart / office depot / best buy back to COT.  Props to Pot Hole for saving some in the tank and blowing by everybody.

Final #’s – 3 miles ran, 60 bomb jacks, 90 burpees, 120 pulsating jump squats and about 50-70 x crunches per person.  Not a bad day for a Monday.  Heard heart rates were excessively high which is always a good sign.  Thanks for hanging in there fellas – had a great time leading the pax.  Until next time.

Cha Ching

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Gemini Birthday Bash

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The Thang:

Mosey to the parking lot near the tennis courts

COP: Hillbilly Walkers(20x), Imperial Walkers (15x), 1 min of 7 burpees and 33 SSH, 3x

Mosey to the band’s practice parking lot

Jack Webb Style with Crackin Burpees for the 1 and Bobby Hurley for the 4 with 3-4 partners for encouragement

Bomb Jacks (100x), Overhead Claps (200x), Merkins (100x), Big Boy Sit Ups (100x), Squats (200x)

Moleskin:

On this glorious day, we followed our own advice of not “going it alone.” So we decided to lock shields to celebrate the 40th birthday of two Geminis that were born two days apart. We are humbled and honored by the love and support of our F3 brothers for our birthday bash. We can’t thank you enough.

As we turn 40 years old, we understand that we are progressing into the next season of life. Age 0 to 20 is the spring season where we identify who we are. Age 20 to 40 is the summer season where we learn and grow. Age 40 to 60 is the fall season where we influence others. Age 60+ is the winter season where we share wisdom with others.

What season of life are you in? Own it. Celebrate life and your season daily.

Peace,

Deacon & Shady

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Badger 1 year Convergence

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Thank you to our QICs of the Badger Convergence.  For those that were close with Badger and his family who was in attendance it was a blessing to see 78 strong come out in his honor.

Cyclop’s Portion of Badger Convergence

The W/O: The sets follow the dates of every March madness trip I took with badger and the 71-64 significance is the final score of the Kentucky-Wisconsin game in 2015 (our first trip) when badger’s badgers knocked off unbeaten Kentucky in the final 4.  I heard a bit about that. 😎

3 – burpees
19 – merkins
20 – squats
15 – LBCs

64 second – wall sit (people’s chair):  reflect in silence on how we leave no doubt as badger did.

3 – burpees
17 – LBC’s
20 – flutters
16 – burpees

DORA partner up – 71 burpees.  Partner 1 runs to semi trailer and back while partner 2 does burpees then switch off and repeat until 71 is reached

3 – burpees
16 – squats
20 – lunges
17 – flutters

71 seconds – balls to the wall

Reflect on leaving no doubt and what that means for each of us – then mosey to COT.

 

Change Order’s Portion of Badger Convergence

18 merkins
48 Lbc
4 burpees
9 merkins
11 side startle hops
20 freely mercury
07 merkins
39 Lbc
Run a lap in between each

Jiffy’s Portion of Badger Convergence

Headed over to the side of Parking Lot…

 

I shared the Pax my background with Badger – I joined F3 because of him.  F3 has had a meaningful impact on my life and I owe that to Badger.  I shared with the Pax how quickly things turned for Badger and encouraged them (and myself) to make sure we are using our time and resources very intentionally.

 

The workout

 

I had cones setup and the Pax did the following sequences:

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 10 jump squats, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 merkins
  • 20 LBC’s in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 plan jacks, 10 merkins, 10 plank jacks, 10 merkins, 10 plank jacks

 

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 5 bomb jacks, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 carolina dry docks
  • 20 American Hammers in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder taps

 

  • Lunge Walk to each cone and stop and do 10 monkey humpers bomb jacks, run back
  • Bear crawl to each cone and stop and 10 dips
  • 20 flutters in cadence
  • Sequence of 10 merkins, 10 side shoulder punches, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder punches, 10 merkins, 10 shoulder punches

 

  • Straight suicide

 

 

We then ran to the side and between a couple of islands did a Jacobs Ladder with Bomb Jacks on one side and Burpees on the other with a total of 6.

 

Great job by the Pax pushing each other and picking up the 6 at the end.

 

We headed back to the group at the end for COT.  It was an honor to serve especially in honor of Badger.

 

Trucker’s portion of Badger Convergence

Ran behind 9 rounds. Badger would have been 40 this year. So honored him with 40/4 workout. Each PAX had to do 4 rounds of 4 exercises of 40 reps with a run from 9 rounds to end of parking lot.
Merkins
Squats
LBCs
CCD

Then over to Red Bowl wall for 40 leg raises. Wall sits with 2 burpees each down the line. Repeat with 4 scorpion merkins.

Missy to oil change store. 4 PAX lined up 20 yards away while the other took 4 car tires and flipped tires to partner, return back to start. Each PAX then grabbed a tire nd did 40 shoulder presses.

Mossy to COT

 

Senator Tressels Portion of Badger Convergence

After COP, mosey to the inclined driveway by the apartment complex on Tega Cay Drive.  I gathered the group and told them that Matt was my neighbor and friend.  Our families spent time together and that Matt was active in an adult men’s soccer league.  Matt’s fight with cancer was very short and that he was gone way too soon.

 

On to the workout:

 

Jacob’s ladder, 1-7, with burpees at the top of the hill.  Plank when you are finished.

 

Walk to the grass area in front of the apartment gym and circle up for  Jack Webb’s (10/40).

 

Freddie Mercs x 20, and Hello Dolly x 20, all in cadence.

 

End with 90 seconds of the body destroyer.  As the Pax laid still and quiet,  I told them to think about how much they have, how lucky they are, and that every day is a gift.

 

Mosey  back to the Harris Teeter lot for COT

 

End.

 

Decibels Portion of Badger Convergence

 

MERKINS X25

ALTERNATING LUNGES X25

TOE TAPS X25

TONY HAWK BURPEE X15

Heals to Heaven x25

GORILLA HUMPER X20

IMPERIAL WALKER X20

EMPTY WHEELBARROW

SQUATS X20

LBCs  X39

E2K X20 EACH SIDE

ROSALITA X25

During the workout we keep 3 soccer balls moving at all time to honor Badger’s love for soccer. 

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Badger went to be in heaven.  I was blessed to spend time with him prior to his passing.  We talked about him being saved and how important that was to him.  He let me know that his M was a big reason he was saved but also seeing my families reaction to losing our daughter and son and our dependence on God at that time.  I am saying this to let you know as Christians people watch our actions and want to make sure our actions match our words.  I encourage every Christian brother in F3 to live out your faith and in times of need lean on God just like Badger did in his time. 

My M and I received a letter from Badger.  In that letter he mentioned F3 and the support he and his family received after the diagnosis.  I remember him just being in awe of all the people that were praying for him.  He was so touched by this community that he asked that I make sure that his boys get involved in F3.  It was such a blessing to have Jeter and all the his relatives experience the convergence.  To have 78 men in our community support Badger was an emotional journey for all of us that knew him.  I had several members of his family let me know how much they appreciated the convergence and the support for Badger.  Thank you to each man that showed up!

Badger was a man I respected to the utmost.  He was not a guy that sought attention or glory, but he was always there when you needed him.  He loved his family and was a loyal friend.  I am still in awe of how he bravely prepared to walk into heaven.  It was so comforting to know he was going to see Jesus.  He told me many times that he would take care of our babies (Elizabeth Grace and Garrett) until we met up with him.  Badger was a great Father and I know he is having a blast with my kids in heaven. 

Let us all take this time to pour into, support, love on and encourage our F3 brothers. Then take that momentum and turn it to our families.  Then take that momentum and pour it out on the least and the lost in our community.  Badger knew that God had a purpose for him and that purpose was to spread the word of God’s Grace and Love.  Let’s make that happen for him.

 

 

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Leaving Home

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It was a Thursday morning gloom at Laces In…a Thursday in May when the temp was already higher than it should be…a Thursday when our Site Q was DR but his predecessor provided strong support…a Thursday after The Murph when mumblechatter still reflected stories from the experience…a Thursday after YHC (aka, Dan from Dallas) returned to The Fort following a long weekend trip to the land of his origins…a Thursday without any FNGs.  So, the Disclaimer was brief and the pax were off.

The Thang

Mosey to parking lot near tennis courts

Pause at first light pole — SSHs

Mosey to next light pole — Mtn climbers

Mosey to next light pole — Low slow squat

Mosey to next light pole — Imperial Walker

Mosey to next light pole — Hillbilly walker

Mosey to next light pole — Merkin

Mosey to next light pole — Peter Parker & Parker Peter

Mosey to baseball field, pick partner & muster on opposite sides of home plate for 60 second intervals

Cycle 1: Partner 1 runs to 1st base for Burpees AMRAP while Partner 2 runs to 3rd base for Bombjacks AMRAP (flapjack)
Cycle 2: Partner 1 runs to 1st for Merkins AMRAP while Partner 2 runs to 3rd for CDDs AMRAP (flapjack)
Cycle 3: Partner 1 runs to 1st for Sumo squats AMRAP while Partner 2 runs to 3rd for Monkey Humpers AMRAP (flapjack)

Plank + Al Gore sequence at home plate

Rinse & repeat 3 cycles 2 more times

Muster at home plate for some Mary — Hello dollies, LBCs, American Hammers, Superman

Mosey home

Plank it up for final 2 mins — shoulder taps, plank jacks

COT

NMM

Thank you to Cyclops for the invite to Q.  I can’t recall my last BC Q in The Fort, so it was a treat to be leading the pax.  Also a pleasure to connect with a handful of new faces.  It’s great to see pax of The Fort continue to #giveitaway!

The word from Funhouse (who posted to LO) after COT was that the LI pax returning to Shovel Flag looked gassed.  Music to any Q’s ears, for sure.  T-claps to the pax for pushing intensity throughout, especially to those who went to bed at Zero Dark Thirty and still posted (ahem…Slash).  The work was hard but the grass was soft and weed-free.

The workout on the ball field was built around the theme of “leaving home.”  Dallas is my place of birth but it’s no longer my home, physically or emotionally.  While my weekend trip for a nephew’s graduation proved to be fruitful on many fronts, I felt no nostalgia for the place.  I don’t say that with any disgust or anguish…it’s just a fact.  This was the first time in the 13 years since I moved to FM that I felt no emotional pull westward.  The realization prompted further reflection on whether I’d left behind certain habits and vices from my adolescence and young adulthood in Dallas — petty grievances with siblings and old friends, disrespecting parents, excessive drinking (and occasionally driving), strip joints and the list goes on.  Yes, I’ve turned a page since moving eastward, far from perfect, but further down the path of maturity.  How about you?  Are you still clinging to the past?  Whether your origins are in CLT/FM or elsewhere, might there be elements of the past, baggage from “home” or an earlier stage of life that you need to leave behind?  Marinate on that a bit as you recover and allow the sweat to evaporate.  And make a choice, take a step toward maturity and #Acceleration.

Thanks for being part of this Thursday.

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