Fundraising for the GCC will officially end at the end of October. I think it would be a wonderful gesture have donations of $6.11 made during this time period. Why, because that was Niko's troop number. A donation of that amount would be a tribute to Niko and the troop that supported him while he dealt with his cancer.
Fellow PEZ dispenser collector, Larry Mason, learned of the story behind the boy I am honoring in this year’s Great Cycle Challenge. Niko, who lost his fight with brain cancer, was an Eagle Scout, a huge Minnesota Vikings fan, and had a special connection to LEGO sets.
Larry created a special “LEGO set” for me to send to his family. The BSA shirts were created by assembling individual pieces, just like LEGO structures. The BSA stands for Boy Scouts of America. The stems are appropriately red, white and blue. The Eagle Scout dispenser has a glow in the dark stem, as earning that rank is a “glowing” achievement. Just 4% of all scouts reach the rank of Eagle. And then of course there is the purple and gold color scheme. These are the colors of Niko’s beloved Vikings with the final touch being their mascot sitting atop a its own purple stem.
Tomorrow (9/22), it will be three weeks since my cycling accident that occured on the very first day of the Great Cycle Challenge. It has been a slow and frustrating recovery. I spend a lot of time laying flat on my back with either heat or ice applied to my neck and shoulders. That down time gets my mind going in so many different directions. The other day I was contemplating and assessing just how I was feeling, both physically and emotionally.
While taking that mental inventory, the Seven Dwarfs characters popped into my head. I was equating how I felt, or how I was acting like each of them. It turned out I saw a direct relationship with five of the seven.
DOC - I have spent a lot of time learning about concussions, nerve damage, treatments, recovery periods and appropriate treatments.
DOPEY - The concussion had slowed my cognitive abilities a bit. Sometimes it was a struggle to find the right word or to be able to articulate a thought I wanted to express.
SLEEPY - The continuing pain makes sleep difficult. I am constantly shifting to see if I can lessen the discomfort in a slightly different position. Flat on my back is not the way I like to sleep.
GRUMPY - Yep, the physical discomfort and lack of sleep definitely makes me grumpy. I appreciate my wife and others who are around me for putting up with me.
HAPPY - This one is the best! I feel so happy every time I see another donation has been made to my Great Cycle Challenge page, even though I am having to sit this one out.
Luckily, I am not SNEEZY. I can only imagine how uncomfortable a sneezing fit would feel while my neck is still recovering. And, then there is BASHFUL. I have to admit I am NOT bashful about asking for donations. Every dollar helps to fund childhood cancer research. So, on second thought, I guess that covers all seven dwarfs in one way or another.
