Scott Ludwig - Best Foot Forward

BEST
FOOT
FORWARD

SCOTT LUDWIG

BEST FOOT FORWARD

Copyright 2016 Scott Ludwig.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-0720-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-0721-7 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 09/16/2016

CONTENTS

T here are two things you need to know about this book. First, it is the first book Ive ever written specifically for a younger audience. Second, this is my first attempt at writing fiction. Believe me when I say that writing fiction is much more difficult than writing nonfiction. Why? Weve all heard that if you tell lies its really hard to keep them all straight. Well, writing fiction is like telling a whole bunch of lies and keeping all of them straight.

All of the characters, places and incidents have special meaning to me because theyre based on my own personal experiences. For instance the main character, Jake Kerslake shares many of the qualities and characteristics of my long-time friend and running partner Al Barker. The name Jake is the name my father called me his entire life and Kerslake is the last name of the original drummer for Uriah Heep, one of my favorite bands when I was in high school. Jakes friend Jefferson Douglas is named for my two graduate school professors who introduced me to the sport of running, Thomas Jefferson Saine III and Douglas G. Bock. Blue Harbor Junior Highs school colors are orange and blue, a tribute to my alma mater, the University of Florida. You may have noticed the shoes hanging on the bench on the front cover sport those two colors. This coincidence is because the woman who designed the cover just so happens to be a member of the Auburn University family, whose colors are also orange and blue.

There are many more I could tell you about, but Ill just finish this up by reprinting two stories originally published in a couple of my earlier books. They will set the tone for the journey ahead.

KNOWING WHEN TO SAY YES

(Originally published in Distance Memories: Reflections of a Life on the Run )

N o will always be the safest answer. Its the easy way out. Youre not committing to anythingor anyone. Theres nothing for you to do, so you dont have to lift a finger. Follow up? None required.

But sometimes no isnt the right answer. Many discover this to be true early in life; others later in life. Im embarrassed to admitI fall into the latter. It took less than a minute for me to realize it, although up until that moment I had been on this planet for over 53 years. Sixty seconds that had perhaps the most profound impact on my life was brought about by overhearing a conversation between strangers in the spring of 2008. Ill get to that story as soon as I provide a little background.

Ive been a supporter of the March of Dimes since my first exposure to the organization during my junior year in high school. My friends and I decided to participate in the annual walk (at that time it was 20 miles) to raise money for this worthy charity. In all honesty the main reason we were doing it was to meet girls, the secondary reason being to listen to the various rock bands along the course. OK, we actually solicited for donations from some of our classmates and parents as well (after all that was the intent of the walk). We had a great time, heard some good music and raised a few dollars for a worthy cause (notice I didnt mention meeting any girlsthats because we didnt; we were much too shy in high school to talk to girls we didnt know).

When I began working for JC Penney Catalog in 1979, I noticed the company supported the March of Dimes and the United Way. I asked to organize a group of walkers for the 20-kilometer walk in the spring of 1980, and the event became an annual ritual for me and many of my fellow employees. I was the Chairman of our March of Dimes campaign for several years, and was proud to be in charge the year we set records with our fund-raising efforts. However, my rationale has changed since my junior year in high school; through working with the good people at the March of Dimes I have come to know and understand the challenges children with birth defects face each and every moment of their lives. To say they all are occupants of a very soft spot in my heart is an understatement.

It makes me sad to think about a newbornwho didnt ask to be brought into this world, as I used to tell my parents when I was upset with thembeing burdened with a lifetime of physical, mental and/or emotional challenges before the moment they take their first breath on earth.

I have always been a supporter of the United Way as well, but I have to admit Im pretty selective about which organizations I want my contributions to help. In 1992 JC Penney, Reebok and the United Way teamed up to support me in a 280 mile/six-day run across the state of Georgia (from Columbus to Savannah) as a fundraiser for the latter. Contributions were raised via a donation per dollar campaign, and while I wasnt privy to the final tally for my efforts, I understand it was considered a success. Ive always been proud of those six days of runningraising money for those that couldntalong Highway 280 through the small rural towns of south Georgia.

Two really close friends of mine were blessed with a grandson, Jonathan. However, he was born facing the challenges of a life with spinal bifida. Jonathan was a fighter, and battling valiantly through a lifetime of hardships within the confines of a wheelchair, he was able to make it to his senior year in high school. However, he didnt live to see his graduation day. Jonathan would have graduated in May of 2008 from Liberty High School in Hinesville, Georgia. At the graduation ceremony, one of the speakers spoke about Jonathanspecifically, what a wonderful person he wasand presented Jonathans parents with his diploma. My really close friends, Jonathans grandparents were in the audience, and their tears of pride were soon followed by a spontaneous and unsolicited standing ovation from everyone else in the auditorium. I know my friends Sandra and Jack feel blessed to have had Jonathan in their lives.

One year after running in the Macon Labor Day Road Race I stopped in Griffin, Georgia at my favorite post-race fast food restaurant for lunch. As I was sitting at a table, I noticed a young lady with a noticeable limp-caused by one leg being considerably shorter than the othersweeping the dining area and emptying the trash. She was undoubtedly one of the hardest-working people Ive ever seen, and it was obvious she was taking a lot of pride in what she was doing. Several customers thanked her for taking the empty trays off their tables, and from the brief verbal exchanges I could tell the young lady had a noticeable stutter, which may have been the reason she appeared to be embarrassed by the nice comments spoken to her from strangers. I was so impressed by how hard she was workingand even more impressed by the gleam in her eyes as she surveyed the nice job she had done in the dining room, that I went out to my car to get the T-shirt I received for finishing the race and gave it to her, along with a $10 tip for demonstrating such a great work ethic and truly (Im sincere when I say this) making my day. She set her broom aside, gave me a hug and said thank you. Those were the first two words I heard her speak without the slightest indication of a stutter.