Burned Out

We had great intentions when we moved our young and growing family into a tough, inner city neighborhood. We were going to be part of the solution. We invested 10 years of our lives there. And boy do I have some stories.

Here’s the thing. With all the good that we did, something was increasingly missing. It took ten years of living there and three years living other places to figure it out.

Growing Up

I was driving west on Kessler Boulevard in Indianapolis, near where it passes under the Monon Trail and the right lane ends. In the left lane, mentally zoned out, I was cruising at or slightly above the speed limit. I snapped out of my reverie when a driver sped past me in the right lane, then pulled in front of me before his lane ended. I felt a hot flash of anger. I sped up and started thinking about how I could pass him (over double yellow lines) and cut him off before the light at College Avenue. My blood was boiling.

Full Speed Ahead

As the New Year begins, many of us are filled with hope and excitement about what this next year will bring. That is definitely the case for all of us at Kairos. Last year included quite a bit of change which helped us prepare for where we are today. Seeing as change is one of the core services we provide, it was quite fascinating to watch how we reacted to the changes we went through. Helping organizations respond, adjust & thrive in change is something we do all the time, so you’d assume it would be easier for us, right?

Uncomfortable

I run regularly. Since my knees are deteriorating, I’m experimenting with new ways to reduce the shock to my joints. I’ve learned that barefoot (flat-footed) running actually produces less impact than standard heel-toe running in athletic shoes. But this new style is incredibly uncomfortable, and I’m tempted to abandon it.

Disorganized Running

I run one or two half-marathons a year together with my buddy Dan Valliere from Chicago. In May, we ran the anti-Mini in Zionsville. This run is 90% dirt trails, 1% wood ramp, and 9% packed gravel. There are roots, uneven terrain, and creeks to navigate. Towards the end of the race, I asked Dan how he was doing, and he said he was getting “disorganized” in his running. I had never heard that phrase before, but I instantly knew what he meant.