SEARCH 5K Speech 10/11/2014

Happiness without reason, what does that mean? Let’s start with what it doesn’t mean. Only a fool could think that happiness comes from the acquisition of things or the arrival to a certain destination or even through another person. This popular mind pattern will only lead to suffering. Suffering when you don’t get what you want and even when you get exactly what you want, because you can’t hold onto it forever.

Joy is in being alive and if you can’t live your life with inner peace, then find your happiness in the mere breaths you take. Everyone has a chance in every moment to change their life dramatically because the only time you ever have the power of doing anything about your life situation – is now. The only time you can think about the past or plan for the future is now. Being present will always be a reminder of how to live happy without reason. That’s why it’s on the back of your shirts.

Before we thank our sponsors and volunteers I want to take this time to go over some of the logistics of the race. We will start the massive color throwing in just a second, but there will also be two other sections to get more color thrown on you! If you do not want any color thrown please put up both hands to indicate so.

STAY ON THE SIDEWALK WHENEVER POSSIBLE! Also, this is a timed event. As you finish the race, you’ll receive a racing bib with a number on it. That number is your overall place as well as the number you’ll need to look up your time. On our Facebook page and my blog, times will be posted an hour after the race. So when you get your racing bib, hold onto it. If your number was 12 then you’d look on the Facebook page or the blog for the number 12 and your time will be posted beside it. This is how we keep the race FREE!

I do want to address some confusion about free t-shirts. The new website we’ve used for registration, www.active.com, has a different automated set up so if you feel tricked into thinking the t-shirts were FREE as well as the race, please accept my apology. All t-shirt money goes to our FREE running program for kids. The last thing I ever want to do is trick people and WHERE ELSE CAN you find a free race?

Volunteers, Jody and Polly Westfall thank you for always being there at every race and helping me with t-shirt sales every time! Mom, thank you so much for coming out and bringing 25 more pounds of this colored stuff! Jason Burrows for photography, Jason Colthurst for the philosophical talks we had this summer, Darby Colthurst for volunteering at the school and here at the race, Sara Hribar, Lindsey Evans, Ashley Seegmiller, Tina Osbaur for waking up early every Tuesday and Thursday. My sister Mandi and my brother Jordan for driving from Thomasville to get here! The town of Holden Beach for PARTNERING with me for this race and all races to come, Tri-Beach Fire Department for the SAFETY, BCC Fitness and Aquatics for being at and timing every race, Brandon Dosher with Dosher Fitness – and just to let you know both health-conscious entities will be giving out certificates at the end of the race so stick around! Beach fun rentals for the water midpoint and color section! Solstice builders for sponsoring basically every program I do. Helen Woods and her daughter for getting most if not all these great sponsors! Atlantic dental, Beach Mart, Subway, Ella’s, J and J landscaping, Phelps Truck Sales, Mainstreet Grille, Swanson Realtor Pamela McFadden, and finally Patronies Pizza!

“Let the Wild Rumpus Start!”

Maurice Sendak