Personal Narrative Analysis

Who am I? That is a question, that at 45, I am still asking myself. I could define myself as a dedicated husband, and a father of five wonderful children, or an employee at a large corporation. Being a husband and father are extremely important to me, but is that who I am? I see myself as a healer, a pathfinder, and someone who sees the big possibilities in the small picture. I feel at my greatest when I am talking to large groups, or inspiring individuals to take the next step in their journey. I am very fond of writing but have neglected the rules for far too long. I love to capture nature in all her glory with my camera, but like my writing, I have never shared it with anyone. I delight in researching, learning new things in diverse subjects,

The sense of community, which is very strong, within track and field was one of the main reasons it was a big part of my life for so long. In total, I competed for over 20 years and then happily gave another 7 years coaching. Coaches felt, very profoundly, that as they were given, they owe, the sport, the community, and each other. All athletes shared a common bond when it comes to the countless hours, months and years of preparation for a moment on the track or in the field. In my favorite event, the 400M, there was only about 20 athletes province-wide; we all knew each other, and every meet was like a family reunion. None of those reunions would have been possible if it was not for the volunteers. All of the officials who volunteered their time did so because they loved the sport and the community it generated. Amongst athletes and coaches alike the officials were deeply respected and shown great amounts of gratitude for what they gave so willingly. The officials were like the grandparents of the community and in most cases, provincially, they knew the athletes by name. The track and field community is renewed year after year by the passion and commitment of the athletes, the coaches who guide them and the volunteers who give so much to make it all possible. Across the community, everyone felt that whatever you took away you were obligated to give back in some way, therefore, you kept the circle of the community