Jamboree Tales - Day 6
Finish the Task
At the 1968 Olympics Bob Beamon set a long jump record that
many thought would never be broken but eventually it was. A young boxer
named George foremen won a gold medal and paraded around the ring with
an American flag, instilling pride in many Americans. One athlete named
John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania, a marathon runner, probably made the
longest lasting impression on people though. While he was running he stumbled
and fell, severely injuring his knee and ankle. After receiving first
aid he did what no one expected and he got back in the race. Long after
everyone else had finished and left, he limped into the near empty stadium
to the cheers of a small crowd that was still there and he finished his
final lap. When asked why he continued the race after he was so badly
hurt with no chance to win he replied: "My country did not send me 7,000
miles to begin a race - they sent me to finish the race".
Do each of you accept responsibility to finish a task when
you start one or do you take the easy way out when the going gets tough?
Do you keep your promises when you make them, even the ones you make to
yourself? A man who doesn't keep his word will not be respected and will
not be trusted. What kind of man does each of you want to be remembered
as? Goodnight Gentleman!
Day 7 =>
by David L. Eby
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