I was very athletic growing up and loved running track. I even got a track scholarship in college.
I ran sprints: 100 meters, 100 meter hurdles, 200 meters, and the 4×100 relay. My absolute favorite was the 200 meters. I was great running the turns. Except on days when the Cottonwood trees were blooming. I was very allergic to those wispy blooms floating in the air. That was a problem because I lived in a town named Cottonwood. I’ll give you one guess as to why.
In Junior High, I was very focused on breaking the 200-meter record that was held by my neighbor, Lorna Webb. The record was 28.5 seconds and had stood for 11 years! I babysat Lorna’s 3 children at the time and she cheered me on in my endeavor.
I remember my very last race in 8th grade like it was last week. It was the spring of 1985, there were no clouds in the sky, and it was a perfect hot day to race. Not so hot you were over-heated, but hot enough to warm the rubberized track so that your feet felt on fire when you ran.
I was in Lane 3 for that race and didn’t see or hear anyone behind me as I rounded the corner for the finish line. I didn’t even hear the crowds cheering. The only thing I heard was my own heavy breathing and my internal voice yelling at me to “push it.” I was completely in my running zone.
I shattered Lorna’s record, crossing the line in 27.2 seconds. My record has now stood for 32 years!
How is this blast from the past part of my future? Because last week I contacted my old school to see how I could start a college scholarship for the girl who will one day beat my record.
Sometimes estate planning is not just about your own family, but how you can continue to inspire and help others. You do not have to leave a lot of money to someone or to a charity to leave a legacy. My small legacy is to help a yet unnamed girl from a very small town, a $500 college scholarship. A girl I may never meet, but whom I am already cheering on.
