When we travel around the country my wife and I like to stop at thrift and second hand stores. We find it especially interesting when in very small agricultural or historical towns. It is in such a place this week that I saw a wooden sign saying, “The extra mile is never crowded.” This statement came to me in sharp contrast with the crowded Los Angeles beaches we saw as we drove on the Pacific Highway. I personally wondered, “Where is the pleasure and the rest from sitting on a crowded beach?” But I digress. Let's go back to that wooden sign. I read a poem one time describing the world as a marathon race. In a marathon you generally have three groups. First you have the front runners; those who push to win the race. Then you have the pack; the place where lies the majority of the runners. Then you have the straddlers at the end, those who lag behind everybody. Of all the places in the race, the front one is the least crowded. Indeed, those who push extra hard, those who go the extra mile to push the concept are few and far between. They are sometimes viewed as obsessed, imbalanced, even irrational. But could it be that they simply are dedicated and without reservation about their commitment? And is that bad? I dare proclaim that the world is in need of some more of these “imbalanced” folks, of people who are without reservation; who are determined to push for integrity, honesty, for the values of humanity. If one wants to find rest and peace away from the pack of the indifferent “beach goers”, that is the place to go to, the place of those who run the extra mile.
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