Twas The Early Morning Before Christmas

Twas the early morning before Christmas and all through the bushes all the creatures were stirring even the mice. The sound of a 100 footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer. Their socks pulled up to their knees hoping not to get stung by bees.

Out on the trail there was a commotion. The regulars were blazing the trail but the newbie’s were struggling for sure. Some had enough water others had not a drop but though some lagged in the back, none were left behind.

Some brought their children while others left them home to snore. Dreams of play stations and blackberries were floating around for sure. Mamma in her leggings and Daddy in his cargos were up and ready to blaze the trail for sure.
The moon was still a shining as the sun had yet to rise, but in the darkness we were hiking even those with yampee in their eyes.

So there we were with such a clatter that the villagers wondering what’s the matter.
Some smiling some crying while Jimmy shouting to the rear “what’s the matter, I’ve never done this trail before but neither has the Mad Hatter”.

Up and down and all around, through the water and under the trees some had a ball while others held on to their knees. We slip and slide but take it all in stride not envying those who stayed inside.

Monks Hill, Boggy Peak, you name it we’ve probably been to the top. Sugar loaf was too sweet but Rendezvous was just around the rock. We never stopped to listen the mundane sounds of the clock only to the wind and the trees as the beauty leaves you in shock.
So in case you wake from sleeping and find mom and dad missing don’t be alarmed they only went Hiking.


Original by Clement Clarke Moore
Remake by Shawn N Maile

The Weekend Road Warrior

Yesterday I had the privilege of taking part in my first ever 15 mile walk/run marathon. Needless to say that although I think myself to be in relatively good shape I was no match for the 15 mile walk from the Sandals Hotel to the Pineapple Hotel. Originally my friends and I (Bappy and Kerri) signed up for the 10k walk but upon completing that distance we decided to trek on till the end of the course. The race was scheduled to start at 6am but due to inclement weather we rolled out of the hotel at 6:30am. In attendance was the reigning Queen of Carnival as well as scores of girls from the Antigua Girls High School along with their parents, teachers and well wishers. The stars of the show though were Rick Ball and Jamol Pilgrim, single leg amputees who have risen above their challenges and keep pressing toward the mark of greatness. . Both men being single leg amputees was indeed sheer motivation for those in attendance. I saw nothing of them once they left the starting line as a light drizzle welcomed the runner and walkers to the open road. The showers continued at intervals throughout the race acting as a relief from the otherwise blazing sun and kept the participants hydrated.

This by far is the most strenuous activity that I have embarked upon in my life time. There were points where I thought that I was going to lose my sanity for seeing nothing but asphalt for miles and miles in front of me. I asked myself “self, who wakes up at the crack of dawn and decides to walk 15 miles in pouring rain without the prospect of cash prize or any other winnings?” the self said, “people who see life as a challenge that’s who. The muscle aches, hunger and fatigue would take days to describe but I soldiered on, not out of peer pressure or the thought of not finishing but the thought that if guys who have only one leg can run the entire thing, why can’t I walk it with my two legs. And so I trekked on mile after mile after mile with water stops, Gatorade stops and multiple bathroom stops to complete a 4 hr journey. I think it safely to say that I have achieved something great for 2011. If all goes well in the year to come this will not be my last such event. It’s an exhilarating feeling to know that you can do something that some people can only dream of.

About a mile away from the finish line I passed a woman on her porch sitting in a wheel chair with both legs amputated. When her neighbor inquired of her what she was doing in the rain she replied “I’m watching young people run”. I can only imagine that she too was once young and able to run. What confined her to a wheelchair I am not sure but I am sure she longs for the days of having legs.

All in all it was a great experience, if nothing else I am sure that I have an interesting conversational piece for years to come.

Life: JUST DO IT