Imagine

DreamerImagine
Image Source: daria.wensveen http://www.lurvely.com/photo/2461317804/You_may_say_Im_a_dreamer/
 

People call me a dreamer.

In fact,  my mother recently told me that I see the glass 3/4 full. That made me laugh because it is spot on. I don’t know what strange mix of the organic soup of life & genes & nurture made me this way. I know it mystifies some and annoys others but I can’t change it so might as well work with what I’ve got. So I dream and when one stirs me, I work to make that dream a reality.
I dreamed of a walk event just for people with a form of Spondylitis. It doesn’t feel quite fulfilling doing the Arthritis Walk although I do participate. A.S. is barely mentioned and that is hard emotionally. So the dream stirred and I started planning and I started imagining. And once I told everyone what I dreamed, people saw and imagined with me. I’d like you to imagine our walk this year, next year – ten years from now.

Our walk can make great strides!

Imagine a small group of people with only a Facebook page to join them all together. Then imagine that many of us live with a degenerative & painful autoimmune disease that affects the joints & soft tissue. Imagine the desire in this small group who could see the power of the idea to come together to share a healthful endeavor that also gave us a way to describe our difficult journey in a positive way with friends and family. And then imagine that this group did it! They reached their collective goal. To walk enough steps to circle the globe!

Imagine that! 

Why not be a dreamer and imagine something that is a good and positive way to be healthier and show our desire to share the disease called spondylitis with the world. We did just that. And we are about to do it again and reach even more corners of the globe, with more people participating!
Our new goal is about 8 times larger than last year. We were attempting 57 million steps last year – enough to circle the globe – and we collected 63 million! We had 4 people make the million step challenge as well!  This year we are needing to collectively take 477 million steps.

Do you think we can do it?

We’re shooting for the moon! The good news is that even if we miss, we’ll land among the stars! The friendships we will make and the community we continue to build – well, we are each others stars! I am in awe of you all. You shine so brightly in a difficult life. Bravo to you! Let’s go walk!
 

I hope one day you’ll join us!

 
JennaSigSm
 
*Credit to Michael Smith (Team Captain of The Spondyville Fusers) for a reference to his poem
“A poem for my fellow Spondys” He wrote, “We are each other’s miracles” and I loved that so that is where the inspiration came from with, “we are each other’s stars.” Please follow the poem link – you won’t be disappointed to take a moment and read it.
 
* We are looking for guest bloggers. If you are interested in doing a recurring blog post here or even just a one time post, please send us an email with the subject line – “Guest Blogger” and let us know what you are interested in blogging about. We’d love a team captain to do a recurring blog. We are also interested in sharing observations about the benefits of walking on your health, topics about how the walk is a way for you to spread awareness of AS to friends & family, or if you are a gear head – reviews are welcome too.”
 
 
 
 

One thought on “Imagine

  1. Christina Lowe says:

    We can do it! I joined at the last minute. I have been in and out of the hospital this last month, undergoing tons of tests. I was diagnosed with Lupus SLE ontop of A.S and SpA and just didn’t think I had it in me to walk this year, but I’m a fighter and that just wasn’t me. So I signed on under The Blue Apples and I’m going to give it my best shot, because this disease is not going to get the best of me. No matter what. Together we will fight and Together we will walk to raise more awareness and hopefully find a cure for this awful disease. Never Give Up!

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