I have a friend from high school who ran track. I won’t say that he was as fast as the wind, but he was light on his feet, and he could move quickly. His abilities as a runner were defining moments in how he saw himself. It was a sport in which he could greatly excel and if asked today, he’d say that track holds some of his most precious moments from high school.
As I write those word, I’m remembering Sheldon’s body-types from psychology my freshman year in college. According to Sheldon, there are three somatotypes: ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs. It is an oversimplification, but you could say small, medium and large covers it. Folks who are figuratively light on their feet are good candidates for track.
I, of course, was an exception to the rule. I was a skinny kid, but I didn’t run track. My feet didn’t have the wherewithal to move as fast as my mouth. I was the class clown, but schools don’t give a letter jacket for accomplishments in that arena. However, I have wonderful memories from school and I’m still good for a laugh.
Last night the General and I watched a movie that was recommended to us by an aunt of my daughter-in-law. She said that “Unbroken”, the story of Louis (Louie) Zamperini was a good movie.
Louie was one of those kids that was frequently in trouble, until his quest for running was channeled into athletics and his achievements redefined his self-image. In 1936, at the age of 19, he qualified and participated in the Summer Olympics in Berlin.
In 1938, Louie attended the University of Southern California. He set a national collegiate record of 4 minutes, 8.3 seconds in the mile. During the race, he was intentionally spiked in the shines from competitors during that race.
Louie joined the Army Air Corps in September 1941 and was soon commissioned as a second lieutenant. “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” written by Laurel Hillenbrand chronicles Louis Zamperini’s story.
She writes: “On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.”
It is not an easy movie to watch because of man’s inhumanity to man, but it will serve you well to do so. The movie is available on Netflix.
All My Best!
Don
Carpe Diem 