Articles discussing lifestyle and walking into the future.
My how the time flies
When you look back and wonder
How did we get here?
When did that happen?
The promise that was promised
Had diminished over time
And left the wonder of why
And can the path be adjusted
To fulfill the destiny of the wonder
That was first wondered by me
“To travel is to live”.
(Hans Christian Andersen)
Happy to report the Walk into the Future adventures continue. I am excited to get back to regular excursions again with more and more people being vaccinated. COVID-19 put a halt to most outings, but I am getting comfortable being out and about again.
Decided to explore a familiar area recently and ventured back over to Winter Park, Florida to spend a day on Park Avenue. Park Avenue has an eclectic feel and provides multiple places to shop, dine and entertain yourself without having to get in and out of your car.
My day started with a trip to my favorite run shop, Track Shack. I make a point to visit Track Shack whenever I’m in the area because the staff makes me feel at home. They also update their running gear selections, and I am always looking for new training ideas and gear. I wear Track Shack gear during my races and wanted to see if they had new color schemes to add to my wardrobe. I did not buy new gear on this trip but picked up some CBD gel caps.
I added CBD to my training program last year to help with soreness and inflammation from running. My run friends recommended CBD and I finally decided to add to my program to keep me running. CBD has allowed me to continue to train hard and not miss sessions due to soreness—it also helps me relax and sleep better. Give it a try!
Made my way over to Park Avenue after leaving Track Shack. The Winter Park Farmer’s Market is a huge Saturday attraction, and I made a stop to see what the vendors had for sell. The kettle corn vendor was the most popular vendor of the day—it is amazing to see folks buy the huge bags of kettle corn. I like kettle corn but could not make myself buy the supersized bags the vendor had.
There was a vendor at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market selling jerky—this is not a revelation but was surprised with the selection available. Most people know about beef, turkey, and alligator jerky. The surprise for me was this vendor had kangaroo jerky. I had no idea people ate kangaroo and did not expect it as a jerky selection. I am not a huge jerky fan but wondered all day why anyone would eat kangaroo jerky—may have to try it next time I am at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market.
Took the short walk over to Park Avenue to explore the shops and dining options available. Track Shack hosts multiple races in this area so I am familiar with Park Avenue—the races start and end in the heart of the entertainment district here.
Found a corner breakfast spot that I had never visited before. The Croissant Gourmet Bakery has a great menu and provides the perfect spot to dine, and people watch at the same time. This spot is right off Park Avenue but gets a lot of foot traffic. Most people came in for baked goods, but several stayed for breakfast and the coffee. The Croissant Gourmet Bakery layout reminds me of a New York style bakery—the staff was friendly and got people in and out. I had a traditional breakfast (two eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast with coffee). They had a fantastic raspberry jam I would recommend if you visit the Croissant Gourmet Bakery—well worth the trip. I plan to visit this spot again when I am back in Winter Park.
One of my reasons to visit Park Avenue was to venture into the Wine Room again. The Wine Room provides a unique experience where you can purchase a wine card and then explore wines from around the world. Insert your wine card and then decide if you want a sip, half glass or full glass. This is a great way to try multiple wines and not commit too much money if you decide you are not a fan. I strategically visited the Croissant Gourmet Bakery first to ensure I ate something prior to exploring wine options. 😊
I am a novice wine drinker, so the Wine Room allows folks like me to try different wines without committing too much to the process. I favor the sweeter wines but experiment with others by purchasing by the sip. This process helps me determine if I like the wine and not waste time or money if I do not. I tried multiple wines that caught my interest, and most were very good.
I made my way back to the sweet Italian wine section and found one I really enjoyed. Decided to go all in and purchased a full glass to enjoy. The Wine Room is a great place to enjoy wine and get some people watching in. There were several folks there who really knew wine and it was interesting listening to them describe the wines to each other.
Will leverage their knowledge on my next visit to the Wine Room and explore additional wines—one sip at a time.
The most talked about wine during my visit was the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. It was very good, and I will try it again when I am back in the Wine Room:
https://www.abcfws.com/caymus-cabernet-sauvignon/234305
Left the Wine Room and got some window-shopping in. There were a lot of people out for the afternoon, and everyone had smiles. This was a fantastic way to spend the day and I enjoyed every minute of my time on Park Avenue. Look forward to additional adventures on Park Avenue—this may turn into a monthly getaway for me. 😊
Where have you wanted to visit? Give Park Avenue a try if you are in the Orlando area—highly recommended.
Irie!
https://orlandodatenightguide.com/2016/09/guide-perfect-afternoon-park-avenue-winter-park/
Really?
Black Lives Matter you say
Is that real or just a cliché?
Cannot believe we have to scream this everyday
Just to be heard, seen, and protected
From the brutal society trying to stamp us out
The daily body counts continue to rise
With no end in sight, we fall
Does not matter if it is a southern thing
Northern thing or western thing
Black lives continue to be extinguished
With no end in sight
So, I ask again, do Black Lives Matter?
When will you step up to make this true?
Simply saying it with no action makes it a hollow cliché
Something woke to say?
Time for action, some type of display
Marching is fine but there cannot be additional delay
Let us put more meaning to Black Lives Matter
Do it today!
“Running: my sport is your sport’s punishment”.
(Funny running quotes)
Took me a little time to fully understand what being a runner truly means. I started getting serious about running when I moved to Oviedo, Florida from Bonaire, Georgia.
I ran in Georgia because I was still in the Air Force and needed to maintain my cardio fitness to ensure I completed our annual fitness test. I was always in shape but focused on football, basketball and weightlifting while in the Air Force. I signed up for an occasional 5k but never really trained for them—just showed up and ran. I also had NO idea how important the correct shoes can be in this sport.
Now, back to the quote above. I played football, basketball, and baseball back in the high school days. I transitioned to flag football, basketball, softball and weightlifting during my time in the Air Force. Coaches in both worlds routinely assigned RUNNING as a motivational tactic or punishment depending on how they felt. A missed assignment in football was punished by running a lap or two around the track. A missed free throw in basketball was punished by unlimited ‘down and backs’ on the basketball court. An error in baseball or softball got a lap around the field to regain your focus. So, as you can see, the quote above rings true in more ways than one. 😊
Fast forward to today and punishment from my younger days is something I routinely leave my house to accomplish, for fun! The therapeutic benefits have been amazing also.
Running has taken on a large part of my Walk into the Future, and I do not see it diminishing anytime soon. I got into running later in life, so I am blessed to not have run related injuries that limit my ability to get my miles in. I also know the importance of nutrition and stretching so make sure I take care of my body before, during and after my runs.
Another fun fact about my running program is I bring my running gear whenever I travel in case I can sneak a run in. Sometimes I never get a chance to break out my gear but want to be ready.
My work with the Central Florida Employment Council (CFEC) back in May brought me back to the Orlando area and the large trail systems available there. My event with CFEC was on a Friday afternoon so I decided to hang out in Oviedo after the event so I could get up on Saturday morning and run the Seminole Cross Trail while in the area. Yes, you read that right—Inspiration Man made a point to get a run in while in town making a difference.
I love the Seminole Cross Trail because it has visible mile markers and most of the trail is shaded. I made sure I got out early because I wanted to beat the Central Florida heat and still have time to enjoy time in Oviedo.
There was a lot of activity on the trail with bikers, walkers and runners sharing the trail. I made a point to wave and say hello to everyone I saw on the trail. My Fort Pierce runs do not provide many opportunities to see many folks during my runs, so it was great seeing others out enjoying the morning on the trail.
A first for me was seeing someone riding a unicycle on the trail. Guess I only thought people rode unicycles as part of a circus act but this guy rode by me at a good pace. I was impressed with the ability to balance and ride a unicycle while avoiding people on a busy trail. Started to wonder if I could ride one of those things. Running provides time to think about stuff. 😊
I was able to complete a quick 6 mile run on the trail before it got too hot—not bad considering I was there for an event.
I look forward to leveraging the Seminole Cross Trail more as I ramp up my half marathon training. I plan to get back into racing later in the year and need to start getting long runs in again.
My run gear bag remains packed, and I am ready to keep logging miles. Each run brings me closer to 1,000 training miles for the year.
How many miles have you logged this year? Let’s get busy!
“Running helps me maintain my ‘never killed anyone’ streak”.
(Pinterest)
(Image by Bryan Stewart from Pixabay)
“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself”.
(Oprah Winfrey)
My Walk into the Future allows me to explore activities that I enjoy. This concept provides me unlimited access to find new ways to make a difference in the world.
I understand most of my blog articles center on my adventures, travel and things that cross my mind (social justice, current events, etc.) I continue to seek opportunities where I am making a difference and then decide how to highlight those efforts on the Walk into the Future blog. Please note, I do not take notes when I am engaged in an activity—I try to sit down after the fact and then document my thoughts to share with my readers.
I received an email from Daniel Botero who is one of my tree branches. Daniel’s name should be familiar with readers since he hosts the Mastering College to Career podcast, and I have been a featured guest 4 times so far. Daniel has added an interactive mentoring component to his program and invites national guests to speak with his mentees.
Mastering College to Career has grown quite a bit since I last sat down with Daniel in March 2020. He continues to add value to college students across the country by helping them understand how to make themselves attractive to recruiters.
The program helps colleges students LEARN how to build their online presence, resume, and mock interview skills. Surprisingly, COVID-19 allowed Daniel to extend his program since he uses Zoom meetings to check-in with his students.
The email Daniel sent me was a request to join him via Zoom to speak with his students. He did not provide a specific topic but wanted this to be a free form conversation so his students could ask me questions. My roles within Career Services at multiple schools was a targeted aspect of the conversation. Daniel wanted me to share my knowledge on the correct way for colleges students to network with employers to ensure they are visible and viable in the recruiting process.
I made sure to express being visible and viable is the key to transitioning from a college student to the world of employment. This was a bit of a revelation for some of the students because they assume a degree means the transition will be easy. This is a common thought of students everywhere I have been, but it is not true. There are a lot of talented graduates at every college and university, the key to going to work is being visible and viable to recruiters. Sounds simple but students without these key components are not on the radar of recruiters. Daniel’s students were amazed by this statement and quickly wanted to know how they can gain an advantage.
I shared a quick story of a student I worked with at UCF. This student had a GPA that was not high. This student was not a U.S. citizen, so this eliminated them from certain organizations that refused to sponsor students for the hiring process. This student was a native Spanish speaker so English was the second language. These are three huge strikes within the on-campus recruiting process and the student in this example was not feeling good about the chances of gaining employment after graduation. I met with this student, and he explained the things he PERCEIVED to hold him back from getting a job after graduation. I developed the visible and viable concept while working with this student.
I told him he needed to identify organizations he wanted to work for and identify when they were on-campus. He was advised to ensure that each time one of these organizations was on-campus, he would meet with them and expressed his interest working for them. He was schooled on how to ensure the recruiters saw him as someone with potential and not worry about a low GPA. Fast forward a bit and several organizations saw him as visible and viable and offered him interviews. Not only interviews but this same student received 6 job offers prior to graduation—not bad for someone who supposedly had the deck stacked against him.
Can you guess the name of this student? If you guess Daniel Botero, you would be right. The person who learned how to be visible and viable is teaching his students the same skills he learned sitting in my office a decade ago—small world! 😊
The reaction of the students on the Zoom session was a renewed energy. They needed to hear others have struggled with this process and overcame similar doubts. Sharing my knowledge with the students provided a reminder they control their destiny—no one can stop a determined person.
I received about 20 LinkedIn requests from students in this session to connect for future advice on their journey. I gladly accepted the requests and actively help these students anyway I can. I found a higher level of satisfaction by volunteering my time to help these students.
Inspiration Man continues to seek ways to make a difference in the world!
How do you reach back to help others? Irie!
“We all need someone who inspires us to do better than we know how”.
(Anonymous)
(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.
(Nelson Mandela)
Happy to see the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement continue to draw attention to racial injustices. The momentum gained after the George Floyd murder continues to lead people worldwide to protest injustices. It feels real this time, but I thought that after Rodney King, Trayvon Martin, Eric Gardner, and Michael Brown. Too many instances where black people are killed, and the justice system does not provide justice. Not trying to be cute with words here but most of these examples were seen on video just like George Floyd but no justice for black victims could be found.
Would like to say these are just isolated examples and America really treats black people well. Yep, we all know that would be a huge lie and I could not say that with a straight face anyway. America’s majority has treated people of color horribly and then try to convince us everything is okay. It is not and has not been okay for a long time.
Decided to go back in history and introduce Walk into the Future readers to Rosewood, Florida. Most people have never heard about Rosewood or the horror the black families endured there. It does not get the same press as the Black Wall Street massacre but is closer to home for me.
Sadly, I did not learn about Rosewood until the 1997 movie directed by John Singleton was released. I grew up in Florida and never heard a word about the massacre in a history or civics class. Rosewood is less than a two-hour drive from my hometown Jasper, Florida so it is equally shocking how close this type of mob/Klan activity was to my family.
I watched the movie and remember thinking this happened right down the street from my hometown. How is it possible I did not know about this? How could an entire town get wiped off the face of the earth and nobody said a word? This appears to be the American way. We condemn other countries and regimes for their atrocities and then hide ours from the public.
The movie stirred me to visit Rosewood in 1997 so I could see the place for myself. Sadly, the only substantial thing to identify Rosewood is a placard to let you know you are in the place where the town of Rosewood use to be. There are a few buildings there now but most of the things in the area are incorporated to Cedar Key, Florida. Felt weird being at the site of a massacre of black people but believe this was an important lesson to never forget the past so these things do not repeat. Like what is happening now; we cannot just let these injustices occur without responding in kind.
The BLM movement is here to stay, and we will need to remain vigilant to ensure human rights are respected for all. Keep learning and growing tree branches—we need you to make this a better world!
Learn more about Rosewood, Florida here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/03/rosewood-florida-massacre-racial-violence-reparations
“The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society”.
(John Lewis)
Repost from August 20, 2020.
“Set goals and crush them”.
Goals continue to be a big part of my Walk into the Future. I sit down in January and write out my goals for the year. I break these goals up into categories so I can track my completion progress.
My weekly physical fitness goals include weight training (2 days), run (3 days) and speed work on Wednesdays. My overarching physical fitness goal is 1,000 training miles in 2021—this includes running and biking miles.
I set 1,000 training miles as a goal to push my training to a new level. This mile marker also helps my motivation since there are not as many races to run in this COVID-19 world. I am always looking for ways to maintain my running edge and adding more miles to my training program appears to be a good thing for me.
Happy to report I logged 615 miles so far in 2021. I have not been consistent with my long runs but routinely get in three quality sessions each week.
Tuesdays: 3 – 4 miles (after work)
Thursdays: 4 – 6 miles (after work)
Saturdays: 6 – 8 miles (morning runs)
My Tuesday and Thursday runs are done when I get off work, so I am not concerned about my run times during these sessions. Working 9, 10, 11-hour days creates a mental drain, but I still make time to hit the road since this helps to recharge me physically and mentally. Some days are a lot slower than others, but I smile because I am out doing something I love. Never thought I would say that, but I would be lost without my running program—it just took me awhile to come to this conclusion.
My Saturday runs are not like my long training sessions when I had half marathons to train for. I routinely crushed 10+ mile runs on Saturdays before my move to Fort Pierce but 8 is the longest distance I hit when running locally. I have not found a route that allows me to enjoy the run while getting in longer distances. I have searched multiple locations, but nothing is available like the St. Mark’s Trail or John Brown Park in Tallahassee:
The trail system in Tallahassee allowed me to push my mileage and extend my long runs up to 16 miles on multiple training sessions. I plan to get back to the longer versions of my runs since I am looking forward to getting back to being a running tourist.
I am scheduled to run the 2021 Rock n Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon in September. I have never run this race or visited the city so looking forward to getting back to a starting line to test my conditioning against some world class athletes. My goal for this race is to run another Personal Record (PR) and get under 2 hours for the distance. I was on track to go under 2 hours before COVID-19 hit the world, but I am confident I am going to hit my goal.
My training for Virginia Beach will increase my speed towards the Orlando OUC Half Marathon in December. This course is completely flat so it should provide a fast track to help me hit my goals. This will truly springboard my runs into 2022 as I gear up for a full running season—8 or more half marathons.
A full marathon (26.2 miles) will make it on my goals list for 2022—there I said it so now it is out in the open. Let’s see who is going to run it with me! Come on Laurens! 😊
What goals did you set for 2021? How is your progress so far?
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”.
(Tony Robbins)
“Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and nooks”.
(Dr. Seuss)
Who knew Dr. Seuss was so wise?
My love of reading started when I was young. This may have come about because my hometown is so small and reading provided unlimited adventures for me. I cannot remember a time when I did not have a book in my hand reading about things that enlightened my world.
My love for reading kept me in my junior high school library daily looking for new books. Books about the old west were some of my favorites back then. Learning about warriors Sitting Bull, Geronimo and Cochise was my go-to section within the library—I read other stuff, but the wide west was an era that fascinated me. Mrs. Wiggins, the librarian, gave me unlimited access to books and allowed me to check out as many as I wanted. I left school on Friday afternoons with a new stack of books and read them over the weekend so I could return on Monday and get more books. Did I mentioned I love reading! 😊
High school saw me gravitate to a larger library with even more adventures waiting for me to discover. I spent so much time in the library, Mrs. Chandler let me check out books to my fellow students. I did not work there but she made me useful and took breaks while I ran the library for her. I still see Mrs. Wiggins and Mrs. Chandler when I am back in Jasper—they still bust my chops for always being in their way.
Fast forward to 2021 and I still have a thing for reading—guess I am a lifelong learner.
I write out my yearly goals each January and make sure I list a reading goal for the year. My 2021 reading goal is to read 2 books each month. That does not sound daunting, but my reading progress can be impacted by life (work, travel, etc.). Work has proven to be the biggest obstacle to my reading program since we have so many new things going on at the same time. Yes, that is an excuse so had to work my way out of my reading funk and get back on-track.
My saving grace is one of my coworkers. He is an avid reader, and his yearly goal was a bit more aggressive than mine. He would come into work on Mondays and tell me about the book(s) he read over the weekend. I am a bit competitive so knew I had to get myself in gear or he was going to leave me in his dust (reading wise). Life inspiration is funny—positive peer pressure got me back to reading.
Proud to say I have been in a groove and have started to crush my reading goals. I joined Amazon Prime so I could get free shipping and 2-day delivery for my book purchases. Sounds like a small thing but getting books delivered faster actually keeps me focused. I routinely have two or three books on standby as I complete my current title. Amazon provides book recommendations based on previous purchases, so I am always on the lookout for my next buy.
I read four books in April and three in May—this put me back on pace to meet my yearly reading goal. My increased reading volume puts me on pace to read 40+ books this year which would be the most ever for me in a year. Funny thing is I am still super busy at work but made reading a priority and the pages are turning now.
I am not limited to a single topic when selecting my books. I do not read much fiction but try to find subjects I can learn from and apply in my daily interactions. Some of my books are just entertainment and enjoy turning pages while sitting on the beach in between naps.
Here are a few of my latest reads:
Looking to get The Bomber’s Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell soon—the reviews are great and love his writing style. I am sure there will be other titles added to my reading journey—just need to figure out what I want to read about and put my Amazon Prime membership to work.
What are your reading goals? Who is your favorite author and why?
“There is more treasure in books than all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island”.
(Walt Disney)
Nothing ventured
Nothing gained
The glory we need
Must be maintained
Seeking the knowledge
Becomes a daily challenge
To continue to learn and grow
To make today better than yesterday
Seeking the future glory
The goal remains the same
Make the world a better place
And remember to say the names
(George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery)
“Your life is a story of transition. You are always leaving one chapter behind while moving to the next”.
(Anonymous)
2020 brought us a year of uncertainty and change. Not the most prophetic thing I have ever written for the Walk into the Future blog but felt the need to drop that nugget.
I celebrated the one-year mark of my move to Fort Pierce on April 13th and decided to look back. I am sure I was not the ONLY person to move to a new city during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but have not met anyone in my current circle. Turns out I was the last employee hired by Indian River State College before a hiring freeze was imposed due to COVID-19 uncertainty and the onset of remote work for all college employees.
I remember when I was preparing to move from Tallahassee to Fort Pierce the thought kept coming up that maybe my opportunity to work at Indian River State College would be pulled due to the pandemic. I called a few times to make sure I was still hired, and Human Resources kept saying yes. Packed up the U-Haul, pointed it south and the rest is history—arrived in Fort Pierce without knowing the pandemic was about to get a whole lot worse than we expected. It did not help the government kept telling people there was nothing to worry about—that dang U.S. government, they have never lied before, right? 😊
I never had a remote work schedule when I arrived—being new to the area, going into the office was my only interaction with other people. The limited staff in the buildings all wore masks and practiced physical distancing but going to work was a welcomed part of my day. I could not imagine moving to a new city and then sitting at home all day without seeing anyone.
True story—my entire staff was working remotely so I met my 11-person team on my laptop via a Zoom meeting. Never thought this would be possible but 2020 made us find creative ways to get things done. My initial staff meetings were all done via a virtual platform (Zoom, Black Board Collaborate or Microsoft Teams). I love the functionality of Microsoft Teams and continue to conduct staff meetings with this platform. Most of the staff are fully vaccinated but we still have a few stragglers—hope to be able to get everyone together with physical distancing in the fall—fingers crossed.
I had to find new running routes over the past year. Discovered Fort Pierce is not as runner friendly as Tallahassee or Oviedo so finding places to run safely continues to be a challenge. I have two good running areas but would like more routes for a change of scenery. I love running but still get bored if I do not have variety on my routes. Will keep searching for new places to run because I need to extend my long runs with my focus on becoming a running tourist again. I have race entries for the following:
Would like to add more races but need to build my long runs back up to 12+ miles again.
My initial workouts in Fort Pierce were done strictly at home. Most of the gyms closed due to COVID-19 protocols and I would not have ventured in even if they were open. I stopped going to the gym before leaving Tallahassee because the gym environment is a prime place for close contact with others. This close contact led to people spreading the virus so I invested in workout equipment so I could maintain my fitness levels from home. Surprisingly, I stayed in great physical shape with home workouts. I have slowly returned to the gym but only go two days a week now when I am in town. I do body weight workouts (pushups, crunches, squats, etc.) in the mornings before I head to work. I am happy with my results and will keep this up since it is working and a lot cheaper than having a gym membership. 😊
The beaches on the Treasure Coast provide me with great places to sit, relax and catch up on my reading. Funny, I live about 10 minutes from a beach but find I must schedule my beach outings. I run close to the water and stop to enjoy the views but need to do a better job of just making beach days. I am heading to Melbourne tomorrow for an air show and will get an early start so I can stake my claim to a prime beach location to relax and enjoy the Blue Angels as they put on their show. I plan to get to the beach more this year and keep taking beautiful sunset shots.
Time continues to move forward. It feels like I just got here yesterday but it has been a year. Most days seemed to be the same due to COVID-19 protocols but a year it has been. Looking forward to new adventures in 2021 and you know I am going to highlight a few in the Walk into the Future blog! 😊
Irie!
“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly”.
(Henri Bergson)
Walk Into the Future 