Do we do enough? Do we have limits for what we can do? What we should do?
My best friend Randy, took me out to breakfast and we talked for a good hour and a half. Some of
the conversation centered around the University of Puget Sound. Randy and I, along with my wife,
attended school together, but did not know each other at the time. UPS is and was a small liberal
arts institution in Tacoma, Washington. Randy had been a language and business major. Peggy was a
German major, and I was a fine arts major.
I mentioned to Randy that I had almost attended a recent football game. Two weeks before I read a
great newspaper article about a current UPS “Logger” running back who was on-track for being the
most prolific rusher ever in school history. But, I didn’t make it to the game where Rory Lee set
the school record. To my dismay, the game was played in Spokane, which would have been a good six
hours plus drive over Snoqualmie Pass and across the state. I would have started out in the
darkness and returned in the darkness. I also would have probably ended up driving in rain and
snow. That trip was much more effort than I wanted to put forth. I would have driven the two
miles from my home to Baker Stadium on the UPS campus, however. I’m a very fair-weather
supporter.
The UPS Loggers lost the game. “Lee finished the afternoon with 101 yards on 27 carries and two
touchdowns. The game bumped his career rushing total to 4,051 yards and his season total to
1,278 yards, both new school records.” Randy bemoaned that fact that it's hard to compare current
record holders with those from the past. As always, statistics don’t really tell you about the
people. Records fall. Record holders change. Fame is fleeting.
Randy brought up the name of the football hero from when we attended school: Joe Peyton. Peyton
had been a marvelous athlete in multiple sports. Randy knew Joe from track & field. He told a
story of one track meet. Joe arrived late. As a member of ROTC and the reserves he had parachuted
twice that morning and then rushed to the track meet. Once arriving at Pacific Lutheran
University in nearby Parkland, he took part in the one hundred yard dash, the 220, anchored the
440, and did everything but give out towels. He took first place in each of seven events. How
many people would have just stopped at jumping out of the airplane?
Joe set records in many sports and eventually came back to UPS as football coach. His widow still
teaches Physical Education there. Rory Lee still has most of his life to set new records and
achieve goals. The world is waiting. Actually, I think the world grows tired of waiting for most
of us to contribute . . . anything.
So, how much can we do? More than most attempt. How many limits do we have? Fewer than we
suppose. What should we do? I think we should risk failure at every opportunity. We should do as much as we can do. Who knows what records we could break, if we would just try. Like Joe Peyton jumping out of an airplane should be only our first step.
Setting Records and Attaining Lasting Achievement - To learn more about this author, visit Don Doman's Website.
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