A New Home

Shortly after New Years Day, 2009, I was jogging with a friend. We weren't really chatting much. In weird way, jogging with someone that day allowed for a lot of intraspection. I began to ponder the question, why do I run. I had a lot of different answers, as the dirt and rocks past under my feet. One reason I run is for life. I run to stay young. I run for the challenge. I run to stay healthy. Basically, I run for myself. It occurred to me I run for selfish reasons. What about running for those that can’t? I don't recall the exact stream of conscience that led to this decision, perhaps it's best that way. I’ve decided is to run one complete mile for each victim of the September 11th terrorist attacks. 

I remember that day vividly, as most do. I had just got to work. Michael Jordan was going to announce his return to the NBA that day, if memory serves. My wife was home with my twin boys, who were not quite three. A co-worker came in stating a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Everyone in the office decended on the breakroom, cramming around the TV. Most wouldn't leave for at least a few hours. I remember being terrified. Afraid for those people, dead and dying. Afraid for my country. Afraid for my family. All this was rather unfounded, looking back. My family was tucked in a quite part of Michigan, far from any target.

I don't know anyone directly, or indirectly affected. Eight years later, I'm divorced and remarried. The twins are now 10 and I'm looking forward to trying to have another child in the near future. But the tradegy of the day still haunts me. I have wanted to do something for those that died. It is my hope this serves that purpose. 

I sincerely hope to not offend anyone with this tribute. Should you find any offense, please contact me so I can address the issue, both privately and publicly. My intention is honor each and every person who died that morning. I also have no desire to cause any more pain for the loved ones they left behind. 

Now, I could simply go out and log 3000+ miles, but to me, that’s not enough. I have therefore established a few ground “rules” for this tribute. First, I must complete a full mile, the partial miles at the end of run will not count. Miles in the run interrupted won't count, with a small consession. Any pause for traffic is acceptable, although I adjust my speed while approaching intersections to avoid them. After each run, I'll note the date, miles ran a list, by name, those honored with those miles. I don't intend on announcing any "milestones", or having any order to this. I've compiled the list in  a spreadsheet and randomized it. I'll probably post once a week, or about 4 runs at a time. This memorial began on my other blog, here, so I have several honored already. Those will begin this blog.

I'm moving this out of my normal blog, to this one mainly because I'm disappointed in how the memorial was shaping up. It was turning into a foot note on whatever I was talking about. With this blog, I fully intend to do one thing, and only one thing: honor those who perished.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 6.3 miles

Monica Anne Lyons

Frances Haros

Daniel Lugo

Colleen Ann Barkow

David Fodor

CAPT John D. Yamnicky, Sr., USN, Retired

Sunday, February 22, 2009, 4.8 miles

John Difato

Vanavah Alexei Thompson

Gerard A. Barbara

Leroy Homer, Jr.

Saturday, February 21, 2009, 5.6 miles

Norma Lang Steuerle

Michael S. Baksh

Carlos Alberto Samaniego

Lizette Mendoza

Katherine Bantis

Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 3.1 miles

Alex F. Ciccone

Andrew J. Bailey

Thomas Hetzel

Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 5.6 miles

Robert L. Cruikshank

COL Ronald F. Golinski, USA, Retired

Lynn Edwards Angell

Israel Pabon, Jr.

Joshua Alan Rosenthal

Saturday, February 14, 2009, 9.3 miles

Ladkat K. Ganesh

Susan Gayle Santo

Michael Joseph Duffy

Michael J. Berkeley

Kevin J. Frawley

COL David M. Scales, USA

Kathleen Anne Faragher

Gary Eugene Bird

Robert D. Mattson

Sunday, February 15, 2009, 5 miles

Joseph M. Giaccone

Ana Mercedes Centeno

Paul Herman Vanvelzer

Michael McCarthy

Diane Marie Urban

Sunday, February 08, 2009, 11.7 miles

Thomas Joseph Shubert

Narender Nath

Deborah Ann Jacobs Welsh

Derek Ogilvie Sword

Charles Lawrence Chan

Michael George Arczynski

David Wiswall

Lillian Caceres

Richard L. Salinardi, Jr.

Frederick Thomas Varacchi

James R. Ostrowski

Saturday, January 24, 2009, 3.1 miles

Margaret Ann Alario

Timothy Michael O'Brien

Dennis McHugh

Sunday, January 25, 2009, 6.2 miles

Lester V. Marino

Matthew Gilbert Vianna

Kenneth E. Lewis

Yoichi Sugiyama

Amelia V. Fields

Edward L. Allegretto

Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 4.1 miles

Robert L. Horohoe, Jr.

Allison Horstmann Jones

Manuel D. Patrocino

Jupiter Yambem

Thursday, January 29, 2009, 3.1 miles

Christopher E. Allingham

Janet M. Alonso

Saturday, January 31, 2009, 6.1 miles

Thomas Sullivan

Anthony Alvarado

Raymond Joseph Metz III

Jeffrey David Wiener

Sunday, February 1, 2009, 3.1 miles

Robert Noonan

Maria A. Behr

James Arthur Greenleaf, Jr.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 4.7 miles

Erwin L. Erker

Ann McGovern

Christopher Charles Amoroso

Lee Allan Adler

Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 4.8 miles

Michael A. Uliano

Kenneth Frederick Rice III

Sherry Ann Bordeaux

Ervin Vincent Gailliard

Thursday, February 5, 2009, 2.5 miles

James Sands, Jr.

Patricia Florence Di Chiaro

Saturday, February 7, 2009, 7.2 miles

Robert Joseph Gschaar

Mark Ryan McGinly

Dominique Lisa Pandolfo

Robert Chin

Davis Sezna

Joseph Daniel Maio

Marianne Macfarlane

Sunday, January 17, 2009, 3.1 miles

Joseph Lovero

Thomas E. Sinton III

Andrew Desperito

Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 5.1 miles

Steven George Weinstein

James Andrew Giberson

Thomas Gardner

Scott Michael Johnson

Mohammad Ali Sadeque

Thursday, January 22, 2009, 3.1 miles

Brooke David Rosenbaum

Gertrude M. Alagero

Martin Michael Wortley

Saturday, January 17, 2009, 6.5 miles

Dean Phillip Eberling

Francis Jude Feely

Robert Minara

Marc A. Murolo

Walter Philip Travers

William J. Mahoney

Friday, January 16, 2009, 2 miles

Stephen Paul Lefkowitz

Joseph Oswald Pick

Thursday, January 15, 3.2 2009, 3.1 miles

Margaret M. Seeliger

James A. Haran

Michael P. Lunden

Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 3.2 miles

Oscar Francis Nesbitt

David W. Laychak

Robert E. Parks, Jr.

Sunday, January 11, 2009, 3.6 miles

Rosanne P. Lang

Vincent Abate

Saturday, January 10, 2009, 4.7 miles

Carole Eggert

Robert D. McMahon

Brent James Woodall

Jon A. Perconti

Thursday, January 8, 2009, 3.1 miles

Michael C. Howell

Robert Evans

Victor Paz-Gutierrez

Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 3.1 miles

Kenneth Kumpel

Claude Daniel Richards

Palmina Delligatti

Sunday, January 4, 2009, 3.1 miles

William Chalcoff

Gary Edward Lasko

Shell Tester