Classic Rant #403 (December 13, 2010): He Did It!

Please don't misinterpret this rant as an act of bragging.

It is not.

As you know from one of my rants some time ago, my son is a runner. Completely out of the blue, he decided he wanted to run track, my wife and I gave him our blessing, and he ran middle school track and won a few races.

Now that he is in high school, everything is much tougher. He has had a somewhat bumpy time adjusting to high school life, whether it is academically, socially, or otherwise.

He is a special education student with a learning disability, but that does not stop him from giving 100 percent in everything he does.

He also wears a brace for scholiosis.

My wife and I are amazed at the strides this kid has made, and we, at the same time, are nervous about the long road he still has to travel down.

Well, I want to tell you that he ran his first race as a high schooler this weekend.

I think he ran a longer race, but he couldn't tell me because he wasn't sure.

That's understandable for him. It certainly wasn't the sprint races he ran in middle school, that we know.

What was the result?

He lost. He lost big time.

He came in last in his race.

Sure, I would have liked him to win it, or at least have beaten one of the other boys he ran against.

But you know what? My wife and I are satisfied, and very proud of him for competing.

We know he did his best. He is not yet acclimated to longer runs, and he doesn't know how to pace himself.

But not to worry. He will overcome this.

This was a kid who loved sports but wasn't very good at them.

Then, his back problem was diagnosed, and he has made incredible strides in that regard.

He must wear his brace seven days a week, 24 hours a day. He can take it off while showering, or while participating in athletic events. But he knows he must wear it at all other times.

He has never given us a single problem about wearing the brace. He got into his mind that this would help him, and it has.

Since wearing the brace, his back has straightened out to be much more in line with the rest of his body, and it has enabled him to do things we could only have dreamed about months ago.

Finishing first or last, or somewhere in the middle, is not that important.

He is already a winner as far as my wife and I are concerned.

The sky is the limit for this kid, and we wish him well in his second high school race, which is after school today.

We will be proud of him no matter where he places.