-          Avery Visser

Avery is a 15-year-old intelligent, responsible, and talented young woman.  Last month, we raced together in a little local race called The Rookie.  The name of the race may lull you into a false sense of what’s really going to happen as there are always some speedy locals out for the sub-one-hour & over-LT effort.  Three Austin-area short-course pros showed up, so that left me and the girl who is young enough to be my child to battle it out for 4^th.  Yeah, Avery took me with apparent ease.  It was wonderful.

-          Desiree’s marathon

Desiree Ficker went to the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston in April.  Autumn and I cheered her on from our seats at my laptop.  We were SO inspired.  Des could have shown up, run a PR, and gone home.  Instead, she went for it.  She put herself at risk and ran with the top group for more than 2/3 of the race.  Wow.  Autumn wants to say that Desiree’s dog, Pandora, is cute and energetic – good perspective. www.desireeficker.com

-          Jen and Ally

Speaking of speed, my friends Jen and Ally have been whooping it up this spring.  When people say, “wow, you’re fast on the bike [for your age, gender, experience]”, these 2 keep my head fitting through the door (yeah, I know I’m not that fast).  Seriously, Ally (at 30 years old) has an enormous, powerful, engine – she is responsible for getting her team’s sprinter(s) 300meters from the line.   Jen (at 40 years old) is one of the best sprinters in the world (yes, world) and just took 4^th at the infamous “Philly” race – she is responsible for getting on the podium.  Ally races for Cheerwine; Jen races for our sister Advil-Chapstick (also a TIMEX-sponsored team).

Here we are (Ally, Jen, Jen’s girls Elle and Henna, Autumn and I)

-          Autumn Amanda Fiocca’s contribution

Thinking about inspiration, I have to hand it to my own child.  Yes, I am so severely biased; however, indulge me for a few moments.

Autumn is the queen of “Reuse” and “Recycle” (struggles with “Reduce” like any other 8-year old who wants webkins, Wii, and a new Trek road bike).  We haven’t used plastic shopping bags in over 2 years; we use bio-degradable pet waste bags; Autumn plants and cultivates her garden (local farming, good for critters, oxygen for Earth); we have an elaborate recycling station in our garage (thanks to Ecology Action http://www.ecology-action.org/index); we’re trying to figure out composting for our household – more on that some other time.

So, it didn’t surprise me when she decided to donate her hair.  10 inches of beautiful hair will go to make a wig for a child suffering from hair loss – read more:  .  http://www.locksoflove.org/

Thanks to David Prasifka at Capelli in Austin, Texas  http://capellisalon.biz/ for the great new do!

When I was a girl, my mom used to take me to the public library.  The ‘original’ Palatine Public Library was housed in an old home in the historic district of the Chicago suburb.  As the town grew, so did the investment in the town, and thus a new library. 

We went about once a week; the impact of the books struck me intensely.  The memories of the books lead to the memories of “Book Group”.  I acquiesce that now “Book Clubs” are commonplace, but at the time (early 70s), the concept was fresh.  Women were coming together – perhaps with similar energy as Elizabeth Caddy Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Jane Addams, or others – those who exemplify Gandhi’s powerful, “Be the Change you wish to see in the world.”

With gratitude, I thank the women in Mom’s Book Club.  They let me be the fly on the wall; sometimes hanging out and listening to their discussions.  They invited me to their outings – experiencing programs, speakers, artists, musicians.  They included me and spoke to me as a young woman, shaping my ideas about what is expected and what is possible.  They came to my piano recitals, read my papers, talked about soccer, listened to my perspective.

Fast-forward.  The change that these women inspire through their actions leaves its mark.

I was teaching Girl Scouts earlier this year (2^nd graders); the theme, “Your Body”.  The girls drew 4 pictures: their vision of themselves as an adult; the hygiene-activities they will do to support their vision; the nutrition decisions they will make to support their vision; the activities they will do to support their vision.  Fantastic results – these 8-year-olds see themselves as a veterinarian (my daughter), a dancer, a doctor, a scientist and artist (my daughter’s brilliant best friend), a teacher – they expect themselves to contribute to theworld.  Further, they have clear and unencumbered expectations about what they do to be healthy and fit.  Granted I’m ‘dating’ myself here, but frankly, many of their mothers grew up in the 70s when active girls were ‘tomboys’.  These barriers are changing.  Progress.