Remembering Jack Wolfe

My good friend from grade school, Joe Jones messaged me on Facebook to break the news to me. He had worked with Jack for a number of years, and he knew that Jack and my dad were really close friends. Later the same day, my dad arrived in Morgantown to have some shoulder surgery done. He was utterly shocked and saddened to hear of the death of his friend. “I was just thinking about popping out to visit him when I got back in town,” he shared.

My dad had first met Jack when they were both employees of the American Viscose plant in Parkersburg in the late 60s and early 70s. They became friends almost immediately. Their friendship lasted long after the plant closed, and, growing up, many of my memories of visiting Jack’s place were centered around auto repair. Jack was a genius when it came to anything mechanical on automobiles. I really think it gave him joy to solve mechanical problems, and to help others in this way.

Jack was originally from Bergoo, WV. It’s current population is 94 people, but every year, folks would return to Bergoo for a homecoming and reunion. My dad used to travel down to Bergoo with Jack. Jack loved making the trip each year, and he loved sharing his special home community with my dad. I wasn’t as close with Jack as my dad was, but, I have had some really incredible friends in my life as well, and I truly cherish time spent with them.

One time, my dad brought Jack up to Morgantown for the day, and I took them out to Cooper’s Rock and along some of my favorite trails up here. I think they both loved being in the woods, and enjoying the fresh clean air. The photos in this blog were taken during that visit. He was a big fan of McDonald’s coffee as you can see in one of the photos.

Jack left this world just a little under two weeks ago. According to what we heard, he had a heart attack while working on a car, and died shortly after arriving at the hospital. He died, doing work that he loved but his departure was a shock to all that knew him. 

I’m thankful that my path crossed his, and I know that many will miss him. Life is short and I hope we can each live it to the fullest while we walk this earth.

Jumping Rope Into Fitness

As 2011 was coming to an end, I found myself, among other things, considering ways I could maintain my fitness in a low cost, time effective way.  A few years back, I had purchased a jump rope, but could never really get started jumping because I was looking for the perfect surface to jump on.

Rather than continue the search, I thought back to my childhood, and jumping on sidewalks and gym floors and varied surfaces. And as a result, I started jumping rope in my gravel driveway as well as on a couple of different streets at Lake Floyd & in Parkersburg over the holidays last december.

The first day I jumped rope, I think I set a goal of jumping 500 times. I thought I was going to have a heart-attack after 100 jumps. (So I took a break after each set of 100 jumps, and made my way step-wise to 500.)

What I discovered along this journey is that jumping rope is definitely not as easy as it was growing up on 15^th Street in Parkersburg and chasing each other & playing tag as we raced through double-dutch jumping.  It was not nearly as easy as it seemed when I participated in one of my first fundraising events a Jump Rope for Heart at Mckinley Elementrary school. And it was definitely not as easy as it was when I tried out for the jump rope team that later became known as the River City Skippers (I didn’t make the cut).

Instead, I found that jumping rope is a challenge and that a little bit goes a long way in burning calories and improving cardiovascular fitness. After a few minutes of jumping rope, my heart rate can get up to 170-180 bpm (similar to running sprints or running longer distances at near max effort). I can get about 120-130 jumps in per minute, and I can also carry a jump rope with me anywhere I travel.

In essence, I can pack an intense cardioworkout into my day with 5-10 minutes of jumping rope (in 1-2 minute intervals), and I can take the equipment with me anywhere. I think the idea came to me when I saw the rope, and I had seen a few of those infomercials advertising the latest in exercise equipment (and known of a few people who made purchases but failed to use them). I feel like any health or fitness plan needs to travel well, and should be able to happen at a relatively low cost.

So far, I have a little over five months of jumping and building a baseline with the rope. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to jump start cardio and fitness, I recommend a jump rope. Or even if you are looking for a way to vary already existing workouts or a way to take a simple workout on the road, jumping rope is a great form of exercise.

My one recommendation is to go slow. Unless you are incredibly fit already, you aren’t going to be able to jump rope in the same way you did as a child. You’ve put on weight, and your body is not accustomed to the impact. The cardio workout is intense, but it is also an impact workout, and as such I recommend entering in slowly and build a strong base. Of course, in saying this, I’m not an expert. I’m just a guy with a jump rope who is trying to maintain and improve my health. 

Parkersburg Half Marathon: 25 Years

I remember when I was in junior high and I was running the one mile race in the wood county track meet, when I first started hearing about the Parkersburg Half Marathon. I had aspirations of one day running this race (in fact, it was one of my goals unrealized for 2011).  My friend Dan Van Valey and I would joke about me getting out there and running with world class athletes for about a hundred yards before I slowed to my mere mortal pace. This year was the 25^th annual Parkersburg Half-Marathon, and while it is no longer the site for the US Men’s National Championship, runners still come from all over the world to compete.

Although I didn’t run the race this year (foot injury), my sister, my brother-in-law, and my wife all three did run it. For my wife it was her second half-marathon. For my sister and her husband, it was their first. Each of them finished with respectable times. Jamie ran a 2:16 (she had a knee flare up around mile 8), Ray ran a 1:55, and Becky ran an incredible 1:47, and placed second in her age group.

I was proud of all three of them for the races they ran. Jamie ran hers with very little training, but focused on following through on the commitment she made. (It would be easy to have quit or just not run, but she is not a quitter!) Ray has had surgery on both of his ankles in recent years and has lost 80 lbs over the last two years. He just turned 58, and he is probably in the best physical shape of his adult life. He is living proof that if you are disciplined about your habits, you can turn around your physical health pretty significantly. I’m super proud of he and Becky for their commitment to their health.

But the runner I was most impressed with is my sister. I can remember telling her (for years!) that if she ever got serious about running, she could be a really good runner. She would laugh at me sometimes when I said it, but I think Saturday she proved something to her self that I already knew. She has what it takes to be a great runner! She ran her race effortlessly, and had energy to spare at the end of the race. She picked up her pace during the last mile and I personally watched her pass six runners during the moments I saw her near the finish line. If ever my sister has doubts about herself, I hope she will remember Saturday and her confidence will return.

I’m super proud of all of the folks who got out there and walked, ran, and wheelchaired their way thirteen miles through the town of Parkersburg. Some were competing with other runners, but the wise ones were competing with their number one competitor—themselves. No one can push you harder than yourself, no one knows better when you are slacking than yourself. And at the end of the day, the other runners probably won’t be going home with you and talking about your performance.

Whatever race you are running today, whether it is a footrace, or a part of the ‘daily grind’ may you run in such a way to win and be the best version of yourself you can possibly be.

My Cousin The Bowler: Brandon Williams

My Uncle’s family have always been pretty good bowlers.  My uncle and dad used to bowl regularly when they were younger, and then my cousin Doug bowled for a stint on pretty competitive level.  But, all of this pales in comparison to my second cousin, Brandon Williams.

Brandon has been bowling for many years, and he has always been good.  He practices regularly and works hard to refine his skill.  And late last year, he achieved a landmark in bowling.  He bowled his first perfect game.  300.  Twelve straight strikes.  Two weeks later, he did it again, with a different ball.

Many bowlers spend their whole life pursuing a 300 game.  Brandon did it twice at age 17.  He is captain of his high school bowling team at Parkersburg High School, and as of right now, he plans to attend WVU in the fall.  He bowled his two three hundred games at Emerson Lanes in Parkersburg, West Virginia. 

I can attest to the mentorship and support his grandfather has given him over the years.  My uncle regularly makes time to go to games and I can remember many times Uncle Bill would take Brandon to Emerson Lanes to practice. 

I’m excited for my cousin, and I hope he can continue to have fun and pursue excellence while bowling wherever life takes him.  Want to read more about his recent accolades?  Click here. 

I’m really proud of my nephew, and although I haven’t been able to congratulate him yet face to face, I thought I’d give him a shout out through the blog. (Special thanks to my Uncle Bill for giving me a copy of the newspaper article about him, and to my dad for mailing it to me).  Way to go Brandon!

Speaking Words of Potential

I was six years old and in the first grade when Steve Swisher came to my school to speak.  He was the only major league baseball player I know of that came out of my home town of Parkersburg, WV until his son Nick Swisher got picked up by the Oakland A’s.  And now, Nick is playing for the Yankees, but I digress.

I don’t remember a lot about Steve Swisher’s visit except that he signed some people’s baseball cards (I didn’t have any), and he shared some motivational words that have stuck with me ever since. 

It’s kind of wild to think about the things that saturate a young person’s mind.  I can’t remember a lot of my gradeschool experiences, but I remember being in the McKinley Elementary School Cafeteria sitting on the speckled tile floor when Steve encouraged all of us to “Strive to be the best!”  I wasn’t sure exactly what it meant, but I knew from everything he shared, that it takes effort and hard work to be the best at anything, and that our number one competitor isn’t other people, but rather ourselves. 

You see, when we strive to be the best, we are striving to become the best version of ourselves that we could possibly be.  And it could just be that the best version of ourselves we could possibly be also happens to be the very best at a skill or a virtue anywhere. 

I don’t really know what prompted Steve Swisher’s visit to McKinley, but I know that his words had an impact on me.  I’ve never met him or his son face-to-face, but his simple phrase has been a source of encouragement in all that I do.  And his words are a reminder of the power of our words in the lives of others around us, both young and old.

When you speak, you can speak words of life or words that tear-down others.  What would happen if each of us chose to speak life-giving words to others, and we sought to inspire others to “Strive to be the best!”?  I have had an opportunity to speak in a few schools during my life in spite of my lack of playing major league (or even high school for that matter) baseball.  Many times when I think about these opportunities, my mind goes back to Steve Swisher, and I think of the possibilities in those classrooms.  I’m potentially speaking to the next MLK or Gandhi, and perhaps someone in the classroom will look back on my visit as a catalytic moment.

We all have these opportunities though.  If you have children, or if your life intersects with another person’s ANYWHERE, you and I can speak words of life that may be a source of strength and hope for others when times get difficult. 

As you go about your day today, be mindful of your opportunities to speak life and hope into the people who are around you. 

May your words be instruments of life and hope, and may they help others realize their potential.

Mulberries and Memorial Day

IMG_0211, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This morning, as I made my walk from the house to downtown Morgantown to begin a day of planning, writing, and strategy for Nuru I walked by a mulberry tree. Of course I walk by this tree along with a few others every day, but right now, mulberries are on the tree and fully ripe. Mulberries are a personal favorite of mine because they take me back to the place I grew up on 15th street in Parkersburg, WV. I filled my mouth with a small handful of mulberries, closed my eyes for a moment, and I was carried back to my childhood home.
When I was small, I can remember there being a concrete walkway in the back of our house (I’ve heard that this house was once a farmhouse, and being that it was built with a root cellar, I tend to believe it). That concrete walkway would get stained with mulberries every spring. It was one of the prime indicators that the school year was about to end, and my summertime fun was about to ensue.
I don’t think my mom ever made pies from the mulberries (we had a small grove of cherry trees on our land that we used for pies), I can remember eating mulberries until my stomach was full for about a week each May.
I also remember an old piece of barge rope my brother salvaged from along the Ohio River. When I was five or six years old, he climbed really far up into the mulberry tree and hung the barge rope to make a swing for us to play on. At the time, it felt like he was climbing fifty feet into the sky, but it was probably more like fifteen feet. He tied the bottom of the rope into a knot so people had something they could sit on. (Because I was smaller than everyone else, he had to tie the knot much lower to the ground than most wanted.
We had a four foot tall fence that went around our property, and my dad built a gate where the rope swing hung. You see, the tree was on the edge of our property, and the limb that the rope hung was situated perfectly in front of the gate. The gate also opened into a field that was part of my grandparents property. That field served as a football field, soccer field, baseball/wiffleball field and the prime location for catching lightning bugs (fireflies).
I think back to those times, and life seemed infinitely less complex. My brother and my dad were superhuman, and there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish (I actually still believe that about both of them!) My sister and my mom, were two of the most compassionate people I knew (still true!) and my life was filled with love from my family and an enjoyment of simple things like a rope swing and mulberries staining the pavement and my hands as I picked them to fill my belly with joy.
As we begin this memorial day weekend, I hope you can take a moment and journey back to your past and to some good memories. Where did you play? What brought you the greatest joy? Who were your heroes? It’s always good to take time to remember and reflect, particularly on weekends like Memorial Day Weekend.

Relay For Life 2009 Retrospective

Last weekend, a small group of friends from the church and family participated in our third straight relay for life event. As you can see from the photo above, Willie won the relay for our team!



Becky bought Jamie and I both T-shirts, and after I put on this cool shirt Becky informs me that I took Jamie's shirt. Mine had a map of WV and said "Hope Lives Here" on it. Becky told me that the shirt I picked was clearly a girls shirt. I told her that I thought it was for anybody. The women I know who have fought or are currently fighting are incredibly strong. So I figured, who wouldn't want to 'fight like a girl'?



The high point of the weekend for me was seeing dad complete a lap. While he hasn't had cancer himself, many of his siblings have. He also is not quite three weeks forward from having a massive heart attack, quadruple bypass, and his chest ripped open twice. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

I love this picture because you can see people walking ahead of him, behind him, and on all sides. That's just a small symbol of the kind of support he has been receiving through prayer, cards, visitors, and more. I took this photo because I wanted my dad to see this any time he was in doubt about whether or not people cared about him. I wanted him to see the steps he is taking too!

No matter what life throws at us, it's good to be reminded that we aren't going at it alone. We walk through it all together. We carry each other when times get tough. (And lately, it seems like there have been more physically and emotionally tough times for the people around me than one could imagine.)

Even when we feel like we are at the end of our ropes and we don't think we can take another step, there are people around us who can encourage and push us. And then, there is the great Friend Jesus, who walks with us through the heaviest trials. I know that walking with Him has strengthened me over these last few days.

Remember wherever you are and whatever you are going through, you are not alone!

Out of Print?

This evening while hanging out with my dad, the subject of newspapers came up. Each day, he get's a copy of the Charleston Gazette delivered to his room with breakfast, and he was wondering why they would give him the paper. We talked about how the newspaper would give patients something to read, and a way to keep up on local news.

Then, my brother in law Ray started talking about how the Parkersburg News was doing away with its evening edition as a result of declining subscriptions. There'sjus a lot of stuff folks can get online these days I guess. At the same time, it means a decline in a number of jobs. From printers to paper factories, and even down to paper carriers, there are a number of people who make their living from the printed newspaper. (Of course photographers and journalists can still publish online, but the folks who work behind the scenes have their livelihood from the printed word).

Here's an article that looks at the environmental/energy impact of both. Given that most people spend less than 30 minutes reading the paper, it looks like reading online wins out for energy consumption.

Another article explains that while most newspapers are declining in circulation, slight increases in printing costs are keeping them within their budget.

One of the largest factors for declining circulation cited was a decrease in advertisements through the news. I guess more and more people are advertising online, and news covereage is becoming more competitive. While perusing this subject I found the Newspaper Death Watch website. The site heralds the advent of a new generation of journalism as newspaper offices close their door.

But what about the old paper boy? What's he supposed to do? This is a healthy first job that requires discipline and responsibility. You learn to dress for the elements, and you get plenty of exercise. According to this story most kids have enough pocket money from mom and dad that they don't need to work--especially at a paper route.

Think about this story too. It's simply not safe to be on foot and alone in many urban areas whether you are a child or an adult.

Our world is changing so quickly, and there are so many areas of life that are radically interwoven. Health, safety, newspapers, jobs, and the environment . . . and much much more.

What do you think about declining newspaper sales? is it a good thing or a bad thing?

And more importantly, how would my sister get her daily dose of sudoku? ;)

Relay For Life 2008

Relay For Life 2008, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Well, it's that time of year again. Last year I stepped out in faith and started a relay for life team composed of friends and relatives, and this year, my sister has improved on that team. I have a tendency to be more likely to step out in faith and try a new venture, my sister has a tendency to take an endeavor and improve on it. So this year's team is even better than last year.

My mom went to be with Jesus on June 6, 2007 after a 10 month battle with cancer. We started last year's team to support her in her fight. This year, we are walking as a way of honoring her, and supporting my sister, and three uncles. My sister had melanoma, and three of my uncles had three different types of cancer. I also had an aunt who died from cancer when I was in junior high--we walk in remembrance of her as well.

I figured I would share this event with you a little bit before the relay begins Friday night. Just in case you wanted to join the team or make a donation. We are probably not the typical relay team. Some teams work year round to raise money for cancer research. Some teams do bake sales and even sell jewelry and other items--even at the relay event. Our team will be composed of people who have been raising funds, but primarily our team will be a group of people who are walking together in solidarity, and celebrating care and hope and faith.

I would love it if you could make the trip to parkersburg--or if you live in Parkersburg, if you would join us for a bit at the City Park. We will be camping there on Friday night. The event runs from 6PM Friday to noon Saturday. Last year was a lot of fun, and this year should be no different. (Although from weather reports, it may be much wetter!)

Thanks for taking a moment to pray for my family, and please consider coming to visit our aerobically charged faith venture in Parkersburg this weekend.

A Small Step for Change

In honor of my mom who passed away last year, I am joining with my sister and others to participate in the Wood County Relay for Life. I would love it if you could join with us to raise money and support cancer research. You can click here to join our team or make a donation.

If you participate, you will joining people around the world in celebrating those who have survived cancer, remembering the people we've lost, and supporting the lifesaving mission of the American Cancer Society. Besides that, you will be hanging out in Parkersburg, WV with some cool peeps, and you get to see where I used to "kick it" back in the day!

As we walk our laps, we will each be taking a small step for change. Last year we had a lot of laughs, and shared a lot of hope, prayer, and great spiritual conversations. The more folks who join the team, the more fun it will be too.

As we walk our laps, we will each be taking a small step for change. Last year we had a lot of laughs, and shared a lot of hope and prayer. The more folks who join the team, the more fun it will be too.

Will you make a small step for change with me in Parkersburg May 16th, 2008?

Me and Mom

Me and Mom, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Yesterday, I hung out with my family in Parkersburg. My mom started chemotherapy today, and fortunately, I have been able to do a good bit of work from down here. It has been good just being around. I think the pace of the past week caught up with me yesterday afternoon. I fell asleep on my parents couch in the afternoon, and probably had the first decent night of sleep I’ve had in over a month. I actually slept for eight hours too—I never do that! Mom’s chemo seems to be gong well. Right now, she is knitting as the drugs enter her chest to eliminate the invasive carcinoma that is trying to spread in her right breast. Emotionally, as a family we have been doing our share of weeping and laughing together. Spiritually, we are going to the source of our hope, Jesus. Mentally, we are staying sharp and hopeful. Mom’s doing really well physically too.

Any prayers you can lift up on her behalf would be appreciated!

Time in Parkersburg

Around 7AM Wednesday morning, I finished the drive from Mount Hope to Parkersburg. The last few days have been a whirlwind of meeting people and working out plans for the fall semester at WVU. It has been a pretty cool time, because one of the places I have been trying to pull away to work has been a great connecting place for some future WVU students who are interested in our campus ministry.

It has been really cool to connect with a few of the people who help make this ministry possible as well. One of my greatest joys in doing this ministry is that there are so many people who I know and care about who are prayerfully and financially supporting it. There is nothing better than teaming up with friends and family to be part of what God is doing in His world.