The End of a Tradition?

Last night as I was watching the news, a story aired that caused me great sadness. Emmis Communications, a broadcasting company that for the last 26 years has sponsored one of the greatest traditions in Indianapolis (at least in my opinion), is as of now no longer going to sponsor the event due to a lack of funding resulting from the struggling economy. The event I am speaking of is the annual Labor Day fireworks celebration, Sky Concert.

Fireworks have been an integral part of my life since birth (I was, after all, born on the Fourth of July). To this day, my father claims that when I was a child, he had me believing the fireworks that always occurred on the Fourth of July were specifically in celebration of my birthday. While I can offer little insight into the truth or falsity of my father's claim (I can recall no memory of ever believing such a thing), there is no denying the fact that I am extremely fond of any and all displays of fireworks.

Even though it has been several years since I last attended Sky Concert, it has always been and will continue to remain one of my favorite fireworks shows. I only hope that the economy rebounds quickly and Sky Concert does not remain in the dark for long.

Outrun the Sun Race Against Melanoma.

I realize it has been quite a while since I last blogged. I was all set with pictures and stories to recount my vacation in North Carolina, when unexpectedly my world came crashing down around me. The day after I got back from vacation, I found out my now ex-boyfriend Brent wanted to break up with me. The man who told me in the beginning of our relationship that all he wanted was the opportunity to prove to me not all guys are the same and that given the chance he would never be like the guys of my past (many of whom hurt me deeply), gave up and checked out of our relationship just when I needed his love and support the most (which is another story for another day). Not only that, but he kept me hanging for almost a month while he "just didn't know what to do," and I did everything I could think of to show him how much I love him and believe in us as a couple.

Least to say, I have not been in much of a blogging mood.

But, there comes a point where you have to force yourself to get back in the saddle and move on with your life. Step by step. Bit by bit. One day at a time.

Part of my method of dealing with emotional heartache is to keep myself as busy as possible, which translates to working every single hour that I possibly can at both of my jobs. This time around, I am also including that to mean being open to and taking advantage of opportunities to which I would normally not give a great deal of thought.

Enter Outrun the Sun Race Against Melanoma.

One day I got a text message from my friend Mary, asking if I wanted to be a part of her team and participate in a charity walk/run to raise money for melanoma research. I have participated in similar events before, such as Walktoberfest and Race for the Cure, but not in recent years. It didn't take long for me to decide to join Mary's team. Not only will it give me the opportunity to spend quality time with a friend whom I only see rarely, it will allow me to get involved in a great cause. This year on Saturday, June 6th, our team will be doing the one-mile family walk, but I am hoping in the future to train and do the 5 mile run. If you would like to find out more information on the event or to make a donation, you can do so by clicking here. Any and all support is greatly appreciated!

In all of this, I have been greatly inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, Amber at Girl With The Red Hair (formerly from Amber Alert). Amber recently completed her first half-marathon, and since then has decided to participate in another race, this time for charity. In doing the Scotiabank half-marathon, she will be raising money for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. This is a cause close to Amber's heart, as heart disease runs in her family and both her grandmother and father have had to have surgery as a result of heart attacks. If you would like to give your support to Amber, you can do so by clicking here. At the very least, I highly recommend you check out her blog (both old and new). You won't be disappointed!

I want to say a big thank you to those of you who have not given up on me in my lengthy absence. Although I have not been commenting a great deal lately as well as not blogging, I have still been checking/reading each of your blogs daily. Hopefully, this post will be the beginning of the end of my prolonged silence.