Why yes, yes I would. When we lived in “richerville” it was not uncommon to admiringly ogle the new Lexus or Range Rover or midlife crisis V8 Camaro in the neighborhood driveways. No such pretensions in the country. What has my eye these days are certain neighbors’ wood piles.
Wood. A basic element of the Simple Life.
I’ll get by without cable tv, without a microwave, without fancy britches, without a gym membership, without a new car, without so much of the superficial, fluffy, softening accroutements that most of society subscribes to. Just show me to the wood pile.
Learning the differences between the various woods. What burns hot, what burns quick, how to blend to achieve the most efficient use of Free Heat. I’ve been stoking the box pretty much non stop, watching my pile shrink, counting days and logs, a race that Winter will likely win. But wait!
Got a call to come get a load of aged and split pine yesterday. Not the best because it burns so darn fast but not going to be too choicy. Fetched it under the most uncomfortable of circumstances. Invited into the house, immediately accosted by two large pit bulls. Mouths slobbering all over me (not the junk!, not the junk!) amid reassurances that “they’re just fine.” Escaped with half a cord and all my limbs and other important parts still intact. Whew!
This morning I’m off to work through some aged elm and hackberry, both good burning hardwoods. The hackberry ready to supplement through February and March, the elm will be a portion of next year’s energy. A keen eye, a chainsaw, and good work ethic, that will see us through this and many more winters.
Tim Gargiulo introduced me to a side of our sport that I still struggle with. Tim ran and won my 1998 Brazosport Run For The Arts 10 Mile in 50:40. He had won the USA Outdoor 5000 National Championships the year before. Certified stud with a 13:46 personal best. After taking the title in the most competitive 10 mile race in Texas he dropped the bombshell. “I’m officially retired as of today.” I was stunned. But had to support his decision. He had a law degree that was on hold as he tried to earn enough in running to support him and his wife. He had reached a pinnacle in his career that left little to no desire for continuing the necessary grind for excellence at that level. In the late 90s there were hundreds and hundreds of “B” and “C” level Kenyans road whoring all over the U.S. And that made it impossible for him to make a decent living at the sport he loved and excelled in.
That day changed me forever. I decided to focus all my energies into providing opportunities and advocacy for American distance runners. Scrapped the international field that made the Run For The Arts famous everywhere but in Nebraska. Accepted the position as USATF Women’s LDR Athlete Development Coordinator. The rest is history. Would I do it all again?
I would.
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