Nothing like a little reality for your day...

Last weekend we spent the weekend down in Tampa. I was so excited to be staying about 2 minutes from the starting line of the Gasparilla race site that I had run only a few weeks before! I had a long run planned and this would be a perfect venue.

So Monday morning I started out on my run. My first 3 miles were around large yachts, expensive restaurants and beautiful homes. I made a turn and headed over a bridge that took me towards the old race route. As I had a wonderful view of the water I noticed sheets hanging from docks, bikes resting on fences that were supposed to keep away trespassers from expensive boats.

Then down on the ground behind a decorative wall I noticed the people. Men, women, young and old, sleeping on the cement.
What a contrast from what had been occurring there a few weeks ago. Smiling faces, people coming together to run and now this? The blaring reality that people share a different vantage point than you. As I ran, I thought of their stories. What brought them to this place? What about their families? It haunted my run as I thought that those people could be any of us. I felt so helpless to be running next to them. Kind of like I was rubbing it in that I had a home and a life that wasn't so bleak.

So then I remembered an awesome site that my friend Becky introduced me to. A site whose mission is to empower homeless people through running. It is called Back on My Feet and it is starting chapters all over the United States. Maybe it is calling you to be an organizer in your area, or buy a few awesome t-shirts to support the cause! While it doesn't feel like much by myself, with all of us joining in we can make a difference.