And the number is.....


There is a TV show called, "Numbers." I don't quite get all the connections they make between the math and the un-mathmatical events of the show, but there is something interesting about it.

A number can remind you of something, and may trigger thoughts and emotions without even a word of explanation. In baseball the numbers 56, 755, 2632, all mean something special. Joe Dimmaggio got a base hit in 56 straight games, Henry Aaron hit 755 home runs, and Cal Ripken, Jr. played in 2632 consecutive games over a 17 year period.

So what are my important numbers? 1, because I am married to Terri, and she is the one and only one for me. 3, because I'm the third child in the family, and because we have 3 children. 13 was my baseball number, and probably my favorite number. 1966 because its the year my old truck was made.

The most recent number that means something special to me is 197.

Without much fanfare, but with much pedaling, walking, sweating, and stomach growling, my weight is now 197. This is down from 227 a year ago, and down from a high of 243 about 3 years ago. 30 pounds lost in the last year is doable, and with some perserverence and changes in diet, I think almost anybody can do this.

With children that are 17, 15, and 8, I hope this leaner, healthier version of me will be able to run faster and jump higher, and live longer.

One really interesting thing about this slow transformation is the support and encouragement from friends and family. Each person that has shown any level of support towards me has their own battles and success stories. All worth listening to and learning from. In some way, my results are encouraging to them.

I am lucky to have a few people that I can share my goals, fears, frustrations, and successes with. It is those people that matter, and make a difference in the final results.

It's these daily successes and failures that make life interesting.
I think back to Dimaggio, Aaron, and Ripken. They were great at what they did, they were consistent, and it was proved over a long period of time. And somewhere in there, a number ends up being more than just a number.