Quick Evening Thought; January 26, 2021

I went to tweet this out, but I didn't want to set off bells and whistles with people who might not understand.  

Here?  It's safe, to an extent.

I don't think people realize that when you don't answer somebody - or answer them timely - that it really leaves an emotional wound that as the longer it goes on the more challenging it is to overcome.

It gets to a point that every time you think about that individual - and, unfortunately, I have a few in my world - it really raises up a lot of negative emotions and feelings.  And it is very hard to shake.

You literally get to a point that you don't know if you can ever trust the person to be honest with you.

Family Tree

George Walk (1862 - 1917)
Leona May (Price) Walk (1868 - 1960)
+  Dortha Hersh
*    William Hersh
-      A brother
-      William H. Hersh (1927 - 1976)
-      Geraldine (Hersh) Shaw
-      Maxine (Hersh) Crane
-      Donna Jean (Hersh) Justice
+  Mabel McMonigal (1890 - 1955)
*    Edward McMonigal
-      Roland McMonigal
+  Clayton E. Walk (1903 - 1972)
+  Ruth Kennedy (1898 - 1974)
*    Earl P. Streightiff
*    Louis Kennedy
+  Elma Matts (1894 - 1980)
*    William Ray Matts ( - 1963)
-      Pauline Matts Hosband
*      Gerald Hosband
-      Delores Matts Weaver
*      Paul Weaver
-      Billie G. Matts
+  Blair A. Walk (1910 - 1985)
*    Ethel P. Dixon
-      Clayton Walk
-      Nancy (Walk) Hammond
*      John Hammond
-      Blair A. Walk Jr.
*      Greta Walk (1936 - 2003)
-        Gordon Walk
*        Martha Walk
-          Sara Walk
-          Margaret Walk
-          Wade Walk
-      Clair Walk
+  Howard L. Walk Sr. (1896 - 1988)
*    Ida McMonigal Fink ( - 1974)
+  Wilbur F. Walk Sr. (1900 - 1997)
*    Bertha A. Walk (1902 - 1990)
-      Herman Wesley Walk ( - 4/23/2002)
-      Stanley R. Walk (9/18/1931 - 6/3/2010)
*      Annabell Walk (1934 - 2016)
-      Durwood M. Walk (1925 - 1959)
-      William David Walk (1936 - 1937)
-      Wilbur F. Walk Jr. (1923 - 2014)
-      Phyllis Walk (1927 - 2019)
-      Anna Louise Hunsicker
+  Gordon R. Walk ( - 5/15/1998)
*    Margaret M. Walk (1907 - 1997)
-      Kenneth Walk
-      Blair Walk
-      Ruth Walk
-      Jerry Walk
+  Stanley M. Walk
+  Nellie Burd (1908 - 1998)
*    Sylvester A. Burd ( - 1966)
+  Olive Poullos
*    Peter Poullos (1897 - 1974)
-      Audrey Poullos
*      Thurman Cowher
-      William Poullos
-      Dorothy Poullos
*      Albert Cowher

Percy Mertiff (8/4/1906 - 7/25/1984)
Hilda Gertrude (Witters) Mertiff (5/18/1909 - 2/18/1989)
+  Pearl Elizabeth (Mertiff) Walk (4/29/25 - 6/25/2019)
-      Wilbur F. Walk, III (1/22/1947 - )
*      Nancy (Smith) Walk (1/12/1949 - )
 -      Pagan Jo Walk (12/26/1948 - )
*      James Snyder
*      Paul Shoemaker
*      Theodore Sky-Eagle, Jr. (3/29/1952 - 8/23/2017)
-      David William Walk (4/20/1954 - )
+  Robert Percy Mertiff (6/12/1928 - 5/20/1999)
*    Shirley Mae Gensimore (5/14/30 - )
-      Robert Mertiff Jr. (9/10/1949 - )
-      Virginia (Mertiff) Scott (10/10/1951 - )
-      JoAnn (Mertiff) Rickabaugh (5/9/1954 - 10/17/1985)
*      Richard Rickabaugh
-          Christy Rickabaugh
-      Paula A. (Mertiff) Scott
+  Jane (Mertiff) Fike (2/1/1933 - 3/1/2020)
-      Doug Mertiff (11/8/1953 - )
*      Tammy (Lightner) Mertiff
-          Dustin Mertiff (1/12/1984 - )
+  Carol (Mertiff) Irvin (8/15/1941 - )
-      Timmy Mertiff (1/20/1960 - )
+  Phyllis Dianne (Mertiff Krider) Hand (6/29/1946 - )

Joseph McPherson Smith (1896 - 1957)
Jessie Anna Estright Smith (1914 - 1964)
+  William J. Smith
+  Mary Ann Smith (3/13/1935 - 9/14/1990)
+  Donald R. Smith (4/14/1940 - 9/1/1995)
*  Antoinette Iadarola
+  Robert Lee Smith
+  Helen Dunkel (10/21/1933 - 8/30/2007)
*  Lee L. Dunkel, Jr. (9/27/1930 - 10/3/2009)
+  Joy K. Peters
+  Joseph M. Smith Jr.
+  Daniel F. Smith
+  Jack M. Smith
+  Nancy Walk (1/12/1949 - )

Churches Attended and Visited in 2020

Sermons Listened To
May 20 - Anchorage Baptist Temple, Anchorage, AK, Sunday, May 17 (Ron Hoffman)
May 21 - Mountain View Baptist Church, Mobile, AL, Sunday, May 17 (Dr. Mike Rouse)

Worship Services (1 of 52)
January 5 - Visited The Village Church Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX (Dave Bruskas)

Totally failed in 2020.  Allowed the pandemic to be an excuse about why I couldn't be in attendance in church somewhere all of last year.

Miles and Miles - 12/25/20 to 01/24/21

Tracking my efforts in 2021:

December 25 - January 24 - 43.257 miles - 48.306 miles walking - 39.194 miles light walking - 100.5 miles cycling - 0 meters rowing

December 25, 2020 (Friday) - 4 miles along The Woodlands Waterway (41:48) - 0.53 miles walking (Apple Health)
December 26, 2020 (Saturday) - 4 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:00:26) - 1.4 miles walking (Apple Health)
December 27, 2020 (Sunday) - 4 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:01:32) - 0.8 miles walking (Apple Health)
December 28, 2020 (Monday) - 4.12 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:05:03) - 1.4 miles walking (Apple Health)
December 29, 2020 (Tuesday) - 4.26 miles walking at Knox Junior High, The Woodlands, TX - 0.45 miles walking (Apple Health)
December 30, 2020 (Wednesday) - 2 miles walking in Hannover Forest subdivision (29:08) - 10.3 miles cycling on Air Assault bike (30:00) - 0.31 miles walking (Apple Health)
December 31, 2020 (Thursday) - 1 mile walking (Apple Health)
January 1, 2021 (Friday) - 3.6 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 2, 2021 (Saturday) - 4 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:02:02) - 3 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 3, 2021 (Sunday) - 13.1 miles in the Canton Half Marathon, Canton, TX - 2.9 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 4, 2021 (Monday) - 4 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:03:28) - 1 mile walking (Apple Health)
January 5, 2021 (Tuesday) - 10.7 miles on Air Assault bike (32:07) - 0.47 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 6, 2021 (Wednesday) - 10.2 miles on Air Assault bike (31:02) - 0.69 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 7, 2021 (Thursday) - 4 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:03:36) - 0.7 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 8, 2021 (Friday) - 2.45 miles walking from 21434 Hannover Pines to Enterprise facility - 0.65 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 9, 2021 (Saturday) - 3.1 miles in the Go For The Gold 5K, Shreveport, LA (29:21) - 1.01 mile walking in Natchitoches, LA - 1.79 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 10, 2021 (Sunday) - 4.47 miles in three Louisiana parishes - 0.63 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 11, 2021 (Monday) - 2.29 miles walking from Enterprise facility to 21434 Hannover Pines - 10.5 miles cycling on Air Assault bike (30:10) - 1.41 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 12, 2021 (Tuesday) - 4.176 miles walking at Knox Junior High, The Woodlands, TX - 1.224 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 13, 2021 (Wednesday) - 10.2 miles cycling on Air Assault bike (30:02) - 0.3 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 14, 2021 (Thursday) - 4 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:01:22) - 2.2 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 15, 2021 (Friday) - 10.4 miles cycling on Air Assault bike (30:00) - 0.74 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 16, 2021 (Saturday) - 6.2 miles at Run For The Roses 10K, Georgetown (1:02:40) - 1.6 miles walking (Apple Health)

January 17, 2021 (Sunday) - 2.4 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 18, 2021 (Monday) - 10.7 miles cycling on Air Assault bike (31:05) - 1 mile walking (Apple Health)
January 19, 2021 (Tuesday) - 5.287 miles at Knox Junior High, The Woodlands, TX - 0.37 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 20, 2021 (Wednesday) - 10.9 miles cycling on Air Assault bike (32:30) - 0.53 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 21, 2021 (Thursday) - 0.77 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 22, 2021 (Friday) - 16.6 miles cycling on Air Assault bike (48:11) - 0.53 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 23, 2021 (Saturday) - 4 miles along The Woodlands Waterway with Waverly, The Woodlands, TX and 3.1 miles at Frost Your Fanny 5K, Huntsville, TX - 2.2 miles walking (Apple Health)
January 24, 2021 (Sunday) - 4 miles walking along The Woodlands Waterway (1:00:50) - 2.6 miles walking (Apple Health)

U.S. College and University Basketball Arenas Visited - 27

Arenas or Gymnasiums Visited

AL
Faulkner University (Tine W. Davis Gymnasium) - 2020-2021 (Freed-Hardeman WBB 84, Faulkner 60)
CA
Hope International University (Darling Pavilion) - 2015-2016
Loyola Marymount University (Gersten Pavilion) - 2015-2016
University of Southern California (The Galen Center) - 2015-2016
KY
Lindsay Wilson College (Biggers Sports Center) - 2017-2018
NJ
Georgian Court University (GCU Wellness Center) - 2018-2019
Rowan University (Esbjornson Gymnasium) - 2018-2019
Rutgers University-Camden (Athletic and Fitness Center) - 2018-2019
The College of New Jersey (Packer Hall) - 2018-2019
NY
Marist College (McCann Arena)  - 12/9/2009 (Oklahoma WBB 80, Marist 71)
OK
Southern Nazarene University (Sawyer Center) - 2018-2019
University of Oklahoma (Lloyd Noble Center) - 2018-2019
University of Tulsa (Donald W. Reynolds Center) - 2018-2019
PA
Chestnut Hill College (Ann Rusnack Sorgenti Arena) - 2018-2019
Eastern University - 2018-2019
Haverford College (Calvin Gooding '84 Arena) - 2018-2019
Saint Francis University (DeGol Arena) - 1970s when Nick Leasure played
Saint Joseph's University (Michael J. Hagan Arena) - 2018-2019
Temple University (Liacouras Center) - 2018-2019
University of the Sciences (Bobby Morgan Arena) - 2018-2019
TN
Belmont University (Curb Event Center) - 12/3/2019 (Belmont MBB 80, Lipscomb 75)
Lipscomb University (Allen Arena) - 11/20/2019 (Belmont MBB 73, Lipscomb 67)
Middle Tennessee State University (Murphy Center) - 11/21/2019 (Middle Tennessee State WBB 64, Tennessee Tech 58)
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament (Oman Arena) - 2004 (Jackson, TN)
Trevecca Nazarene University (Moore Gymnasium at Trojan Fieldhouse) - 12/5/19 (Trevecca Nazarene MBB 72, Tiffin 66)
University of Tennessee-Martin (Skyhawk Arena) - 1999-2003 when Amy Watson played
VA
Liberty University (Vines Center) - 2013-2014

Happy Birthday; January 6, 2021

As humans, we are never satisfied.

I am being sarcastic, but there is a vein of truth to it.

I had a good birthday yesterday.  I do not make too big of a deal about them.  However, it was nice to receive a well wish or two or … 200!  Wow.

Yet there was one that I was hoping for that I did not receive.

Why do we do that to ourselves?

I mean I really had a good day.  

And I had a good dinner at my favorite restaurant with my daughter.  

It is such an annual thing for my birthday that this morning – January 6 – I had a Facebook memory pop up from 10 years ago when she was a sophomore in high school.

Another wow!

Over the last two weeks, I learned from a friend who had a different encounter with an individual that I have written about extensively here the last few months.

I was asked if I was going to be announcing a certain race and they said that they always want to make sure that I get public credit or praise – or something – and I responded – without any knowledge – that I did not need the attention, especially due to some drama that I was experiencing in my life.

And then we realized that we had challenges – albeit different - with the same person.

As the New Year has begun, we have simply resolved as friends to pray for this person daily.

And not with me benefiting out of it at all.

That individual has been offered before an opportunity to talk if they need to.

I tried to ask for time to get to know them a little better.

I cannot do much more for them other than pray for them for God to lead them in their life how His will is for it.

At one point, even after some tough encounters, I had desired to invite them and their two children to dinner last night.

If they had reached out during the day to wish me Happy Birthday, I would have extended the invite, even though, on short notice, I knew that it might be likely that they would not have had time to plan.

However, this all is probably just a good sign that this is where things need to remain.

I am a little sad about that but given what I know and what I think I know, until that individual is ready to have an open, honest face-to-face conversation nothing will ever happen.

And that is OK.

Pretty incredible, though, the love that I felt all over the globe yesterday.  

From both people that I see and engage with often to those that I met one time in person.

I’m grateful.

Where I Slept in 2020

January 1-2 - Home
January 3-4 - Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown, Fort Worth, TX (851)
January 5-12 - Home
January 13-15 - Hampton Inn & Suites Franklin, Franklin, TN (322)
January 16-23 - Home
January 24 - Hampton Inn Temple, Temple, TX (310)
January 25 - Marriott Courtyard Waco, Waco, TX (144)
January 26 - Home
January 27-29 - Hampton Inn & Suites Franklin Berry Farms, Franklin, TN (103)
January 30 - Home
January 31 - Courtyard by Marriott, Shenandoah, TX (419)
February 1 - Homewood Suites Stafford/Sugar Land, Stafford, TX (118)
February 2-9 - Home
February 10-12 - Hampton Inn & Suites Franklin Berry Farms, Franklin, TN (228)
February 13 - Home
February 14 - Homewood Suites-Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX (212)
February 15 - Courtyard by Marriott, Texarkana, TX (329)
February 16-18 - Home
February 19-20 - Fairfield by Marriott Tyler, Tyler, TX (225)
February 21-27 - Home
February 28 - Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Airport, Nashville, TX (313)
February 29 - Home
March 1-12 - Home
March 13 - Courtyard by Marriott, New Braunfels, TX (407)
March 14 - Homewood Suites San Antonio/North, San Antonio, TX (122)
March 15-20 - Home
March 21 - Courtyard by Marriott, Longview, TX (410)
March 22-31 - Home
April 1-30 - Home
May 1 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Nacogdoches, TX (112)
May 2 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Vernon, TX (218)
May 3-14 - Home
May 15 - Hampton Inn & Suites Waco/South, Waco, TX (229)
May 16 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Sweetwater, TX (217)
May 17-21 - Home
May 22 - Hampton Inn & Suites Waco/South, Waco, TX (229)
May 23-28 - Home
May 29 - Hampton Inn, Kyle, TX (421)
May 30 - Residence Inn San Angelo, San Angelo, TX (405)
May 31 - Home
June 1-11 - Home
June 12 - Homewood Suites by Hilton Katy, Katy, TX (118)
June 13 - Homewood Suites Waco, Waco, TX (306)
June 14-16 - Home
June 17 - Courtyard by Marriott Texarkana, Texarkana, TX (300)
June 18 - Hampton Inn Elizabethown, Elizabethtown, KY (202)
June 19-21 - Hampton Inn Altoona, Altoona, PA (200)
June 22-25 - Courtyard by Marriott Altoona, Altoona, PA (402)
June 26 - Doubletree by Hilton, Huntington, WV (722)
June 27 - Hampton Inn & Suites - West, Little Rock, AR (525)
June 28-30 - Home
July 1-10 - Home
July 11 - Embassy Suites Love Field, Dallas, TX (507)
July 12-16 - Home
July 17 - Homewood Suites, Waco, Waco, TX (105)
July 18-23 - Home
July 24 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Bryan, TX (103)
July 25-30 - Home
July 31 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Stephenville, TX (209)
August 1 - Embassy Suites, Amarillo, TX (222)
August 2-6 - Home
August 7 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Hope, AR (110)
August 8 - Homewood Suites - Lexington/Hamburg, Lexington, KY (303)
August 9-10 - Hampton Inn Altoona, Altoona, PA (200)
August 11 - Hampton Inn - Dickson, Dickson, TN (221)
August 12-19 - Home
August 20 - Towne Place Suites, Port Arthur, TX (326)
August 21-27 - Home
August 28 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Bryan, TX (219)
August 29-31 - Home
September 1-10 - Home

September 11 - Fairfield Inn & Suites, Spring, TX (326)
September 12-24 - Home
September 25 - Fairfield Inn & Suites, Spring, TX (305)
September 26-30 - Home
October 1-15 - Home
October 16 - Hilton Garden Inn-Temple, Temple, TX (418)
October 17-23 - Home
October 24 - Courtyard by Marriott, Tyler, TX (236)
October 25 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Waxahachie, TX (418)
October 26-29 - Home
October 30 - Home2 Suites, Temple, TX (420)
October 31 - Home
November 1 - Hyatt Place, Waco, TX
November 2-7 - Home
November 8-9 - University Hotel, Huntsville, TX (413)

November 10-12 - Home
November 13 - Hampton Inn & Suites, Athens, AL (101)
November 14 - Hampton Inn, Mountain Brook, AL (410)
November 15-21 - Home
November 22-23 - Home2 Suites, Round Rock, TX (510)
November 24-30 - Home
December 1-9 - Home
December 10-12 - Hilton Hotel, Waco, TX (1107)
December 13-16 - Home
December 17-19 - Homewood Suites Waco, Waco, TX (224)
December 20-30 - Home
December 31 - Homewood Suites - Houston/Kingwood, Kingwood, TX (131)