Nick Vujicic

I was surpised by a major disappointment early this morning. The 2010 Hong Kong Marathon was already full, before I could register. I did not realize, having run in it for 8 consecutive years, how big a part in my life it has become. But it was my own fault, procrastinating as usual. Normally I would train from October until the race in the following February, running 2 to 3 times a week, each at least 10K. Now I don’t know what I will do.

Late in the evening there was another disappointment - a paper submitted to a pretigious conference was rejected. This one was not totally unexpected because I did not work hard enough on it.

But there were also 2 pieces of potentially good news. Overall, not too bad a day.

In between, I went to see Nick Vujicic in person in the early evening. He reminded me that there are larger things in life, and that life is a true marathon - you have to keep running and never give up.

Vujicic is, of course, the guy who was born without limbs. No arms, no legs. Just a little left foot with 2 toes, and a even smaller right foot. His handicaps are worse than that of most people. Yet he did not see it that way. He is walking, swimming, and playing drums with a keyboard. He is also speaking to millions of people, giving people hope, raising millions of dollars to help the poor, the needy, and the disadvantged. He attributes his success and life full of hope to his faith in God.

If he does not feel down-hearted, we have no right to.

Thank you Nick.