You hear that expression as a kid all the time. Run through the finish line at the end of a race no matter how tired you are. Finish strong. Hold your head up. Never stop. Never surrender. Run through the finish line.
That’s great advice for a youngster, but how many of us live our lives with that philosophy as our touchstone?
A friend and neighbor of mine passed away yesterday. He was one of those rare octogenarians who lived life to its fullest by running through every finish line he saw. He worked out at the gym daily and went to work daily. He and his wife were active patrons of the arts and avid travelers.
I will never see all the places he visited or do the things he did, but I will always remember the words he shared with me a few short months ago, “Life is too short for cheap wine and bad cheese.”
There were people who undoubtedly knew my friend much better than I did. We all feel the void he left behind in our own unique ways. I guess that’s the way it always is. But the way he lived his life is a lesson for us all –remember the past, never forget that as long as you’re alive you have a future, and above all – enjoy the present.
Bon voyage, Mr. Limpet, bon voyage
Confronting Mediocrity 