On Washington's Birthday and Miracles

Today is February 22. Thirty years ago tonight, the USA Men's Hockey Team defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in the 1980 Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid. I was not at that game. I did not watch it live. (Actually, I don't think any of us did. ABC showed the game on tape delay in prime time because the Soviets wouldn't agree to move the game from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Soviets didn't want their comrades in Moscow to have to wait up 'til 4 a.m. there to see the puck drop.)

Where was I on this Night of Miracles? I was in one of two Tufts University vans headed from Boston to Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Crammed in with 15 or so teammates, I was en route to the first New England Division III Collegiate Indoor Track & Field Championships. On the way up to the meet, we listened - for the first time - to the release of the first single off Bruce Springsteen's new album, The River.  "Hungry Heart" would go on to be Springsteen's first hit single, reaching #5 on the US Charts that year. For those of you growing up on line, we actually listened to the song on the van's AM radio. The clever DJ even provided us with the rare instant replay of the song, so we heard it twice in a row. It was my freshman year of college. It was a Friday night. And it was my birthday.

As it turns out, I didn't run very well the next day, but our team did capture the inaugural team title. No matter. We had beaten the Soviet Union! It was such a defining moment - more for cultural reasons than athletic ones - that Sports Illustrated ran the March 3, 1980 issue with merely a photo of the on-ice pandemonium that ensued soon after Al Michael's much heralded call of the final seconds. It is the only issue of Sports Illustrated that had no headline or caption on the cover.

In case you didn't know it, February 22nd is also George Washingon's birthday. I always found it funny that no one ever connected the Miracle on Ice with Washington's Birthday. What better honor could Team USA have bestowed upon the Father of Our Country than a victory over the Soviets in ice hockey?

Today, we need another kind of miracle. And this one has nothing to do with the Olympic Games. Imagine the kinds of sacrifices Washington and his fellow patriots made in order to free us from the shackles of tyranny. Imagine the kinds of sacrifices that have been made by generations of Americans to secure the blessings of liberty. That's the kind of miracle we need today.

Our country finds itself at a crossroad in history. Our democratic republic appears broken and dysfunctional, with leaders of both parties pointing fingers at one another. Millions are out of work. Millions are losing their homes to foreclosure. Millions of Americans remain uninsured. Many state and local municipalities have large unfunded pension liabilities today. Our educational system, once the envy of the developed world, is now the criticized for its lack of effectiveness and accountability. Will we sink in despair or will we rise to meet the challenges we face?

What's the solution? The solution is simple. It's you and I. We have to sacrifice. We have to accept the fact that social programs will be delayed (Social Security at 75?), reduced, or even eliminated entirely. The time has come for each of us to acknowledge that we cannot expect our government to continue to provide services for us... without cost. We may even have to endure dramatically increased taxes.

I was born in 1961 - right at the tail end of the baby boom. My generation has never really endured lasting economic hardship. We're guilty of living beyond our means. Putting off until tomorrow the obligation to pay for the things we enjoyed yesterday. Guess what? It's tomorrow! We have the ability to right this ship. We have the ability to make lasting, structural change to our economy. We have the ability to preserve our very high standard of living for ourselves and our children. We just have to sacrifice. I know I am ready. Are you?

Keep on running.

Happy Valentine's Day

Welcome to my blog. After brainstorming with my son, Matt - who, by the way, is the person solely responsible for getting this blog up and running - I came up with the name "Running Conscience." The name of the blog reflects two of my serious life pursuits - Running (for those who know me, this is obvious) and Character (this piece requires more explanation...).

I plan to write about a lot of things. I'll write about running. I'll right about character and values, especially in the formation of these attributes in young people. First, I think it necessary to tell you a bit about myself so that you can read my opinions in the context of my development. After all, before I became the man I am today, I was a boy and a grandson. Now, I am a son, a brother, a nephew, a husband, an uncle, and a father.... you get the picture.

I grew up somewhere, too, and I've lived in lots of places -- I plan to write about that, too. I grew up in Dover, Massachusetts. The fifth child in a family of ten kids. I have a saintly mother, and I had a wonderful father (Dad passed away in 2004 and I still miss him dearly). I was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church. I attended public schools with excellent teachers. I graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Classical Studies in 1983. One year later I married my classmate and best friend, Kathy. I've had lots of jobs, too. I served my country as an officer in the Marines for five years. I went to Business School and worked on Wall Street for several years. After that, I spent the next four years in various corporate finance positions. Our wonderful twins - Matt and Em - were born in 1996. Ten years ago, I made my most recent career change - I became a math teacher and a track coach. Yep. I haven't looked back.

I suppose some would say that I am self-righteous (aren't all teachers?). Some would say I am conservative (they would be mostly correct). I believe in the Classical Precept Mens sana in corpore sano (a sound mind in a sound body). I like to go to bed every night with a clean conscience. (I find it helps me to sleep.) Let's face it, all the liars and cheats out there know they are liars and cheats. We can have the world's most powerful military, and the best police officers and law enforcement officials, but if people are not generally good and honest on the inside -- in other words, if people are not civilized or able to police themselves -- there is little the rest of us can to do to stop the "bad guys" from doing selfish, dishonest, unethical, or criminal things. It's a fact.

It is my aim to write about the "human condition" from the perspective of a guy who just wants the world to be a good and decent place for as many of its inhabitants as possible. That's why I started the blog on Valentine's Day. I'll try my best to be critical of the "bad guys" and supportive of those who do "good." Sometimes these are the same people. I'll offer suggestions for improvement -- it's not "fair" to point out all the problems without offering solutions. I'll try to make you laugh, but not at some one else's expense.

Since tomorrow is Presidents' Day, I plan to write about one of them -- another imperfect human being who made a big difference. Keep on running and... do the right thing!