I am sure this has been said before: GROWING OLD IS NOT FOR SISSIES! I turned 50 this past week. There is something distinctly wrong with waking up one day and finding out you have a sciatic nerve that runs down your back, through your butt and into your leg, while simultaneously finding out that you are out of your tube of Clearasil acne medication. Experts tell us our increased health woes are because of increased stress, the environment, the food we eat, the liquids we drink, etc. I don’t know if all of those statements are true, but it seems the doctors now have most of us stressed out about our unhealthy stress levels. This can’t be good. Still, turning 50 wasn’t so bad, as a matter of fact; it was a positive experience. In part because of an Extra Miler named Kayla Kincer.
Kayla doesn’t live in Clark County , but her good deeds have spread to our side of the river. Kayla lives in Elizabethtown, Kentucky and for her 13 th birthday last year she told her mother she didn’t want personal gifts. Hearing this, I immediately recalled my 13th birthday. It was December 1968 BC TV (Before Color TV) and everything in the commercials was on my wish list. Kayla may have wanted some fun items for her birthday, but instead of asking for them, she asked that her friends bring money or checks to be given to a local shelter for women and children. She raised nearly a thousand dollars for abused families.
If a thirteen year old girl can give up all the things she may have considered for her birthday, surely a 50-year-old woman who has all she needs could do the same. I gave the Charity Birthday party a whirl and made the theme a 50s Sock Hop. Three charities were named and several hundreds of dollars were raised. Extra Miler friends and relatives were generous and donations are still arriving. Kayla had a good idea and I highly recommend you think about the charity party when the next “big” birthday sneaks into your life.
Oh yes, and Kayla’s mother tells me that she has really been turned on by the success of her charity party and recently held one for the Katrina victims and plans to continue with this theme for her next birthday. Extra Milers often start young.
There are two Clark County Extra Milers I would like to recognize in this column before signing off to celebrate the Christmas holidays. Mayor Rob Waiz has had to make some difficult decisions the past couple of weeks. Being a politician means many decisions you make will perturb someone. Regarding one recent decision, the Mayor weighed out the good and the bad of both sides then made his decision to support clean air for our children. In the heat of the battle, some have been extremely critical of this decision. I would like to say thanks to Mayor Waiz for standing up to the pressure and doing what he thought was best for our city and our citizens. For this, he is an Extra Miler.
Jim Bottorff was someone who lived his life as an Extra Miler and he did it under public scrutiny as an Indiana State Representative. Jim Bottorff passed away this week after losing a hard fought battle against cancer. He was a model Extra Miler, working to bring job opportunities to Indiana, fighting for adequate funding for our children’s education, working to ensure all people (regardless of color, age, economic status, etc.) have easy access to vote, and supporting bills to make it easier to fight crime. He took great pride in caring for the citizens of Clark County and the State of Indiana while being a loving and devoted father, husband, and grandfather. For over 15 years, Representative Bottorff faithfully served the citizens of Indiana in the same manner in which he served his family – with dignity and with love. Those of us who had the privilege of knowing this man are sad to lose him, but happy for the time he was with us and showed how an Extra Miler should react to the privilege of life.
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, ... who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt
KINDNESS TIP OF THE MONTH (thanks to Extra Miler Kayla): Observe your next birthday or special occasion by setting up a party and arranging to have guests bring a charitable contribution in your name. You will enjoy the company of good friends while simultaneously helping a worthwhile organization accomplish their philanthropic goals. Enjoy the holiday season and have a safe new year.
Carol A. Dawson is a resident of Jeffersonville and President of a national training and consulting company, EEO Guidance, Inc . If you have seen or been a part of an act of kindness or know an extra miler, let us know about it. To submit a story or act of kindness, contact Carol via email: Extra.Milers@newsandtribune.com or send mail to: The Extra Milers, The Evening News, 221 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN 47130-3340.
Extra Milers
The Extra Milers: Kayla Kincer
- Extra Milers
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EXTRA MILER: Someone who cares a lot
Waiting backstage to surprise our Extra Miler, John Templeton (Cat in the Hat) and Ellie Delap (Gertrude) were feeling a bit nostalgic. Both are seniors at Jeffersonville High School and this was to be their final high school performance. Standing just behind them, Donna VanHook, our Extra Miler, was doing what she has done best for at least 9 years. She is tugging on a costume and pinning it in just the right places so that it fits properly.
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The Extra Milers: Teaching by example
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EXTRA MILER: The courage to say yes
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EXTRA MILER: Sisters of the Heart
Both girls have been involved in volunteer activities for several years. Amber serves on the student council of her school and has volunteered several times in soup kitchens. Sophia loves to dance and has entertained in nursing homes on several occasions.
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EXTRA MILER: Overcoming fear by facing it head-on
As a young girl, I was reluctant to learn how to ride a bicycle. I was torn between wanting the wind in my hair as I hit the open road with friends and the fear of falling with a splat to the pavement. My father quickly tired of the excuses and one day sat me on the bicycle and pushed the bike forward. I fell hard and as my windblown vision seemed to be shattered, my father said, “Get right back up on that horse and ride again … it will be easier this time.” He was right.
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EXTRA MILER: A call to duty
I was talking recently with Mark Eddy, executive director for Leadership Southern Indiana, when the conversation turned to this column. Mark said he knew of a church full of Extra Milers. The church is the Northside Church of Christ in Jeffersonville and specifically, he mentioned two individuals he felt met and exceeded the standards set for Extra Milers. He named Michael Kidwell and Gale Dunlap.
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Harkins has touched thousands with her generosity, concern for others
I am blessed with many best friends who have influenced my life; however, there has been one person who has influenced me the most and is the inspiration behind this column. Everything I know about loving my neighbor, I learned from Barbara Long Harkins (Barbie) … and she continues to provide inspiration to all who know her.
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EXTRA MILER: Coloring Our World
Creative people tend to bring full color to an otherwise monochrome world. Our July Extra Miler, George Ellis, turns life’s dull and numbing neutrals into vibrant and joyful colors.
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EXTRA MILER: Bringing Respect into our Schools
An enforcement officer recently spoke with me after sitting through a workplace harassment workshop. He spoke of his part-time job duties as a security officer at a local middle school and expressed a great concern for children who do not seem to fit in with the majority students. The officer said, “Every day I see cruel and hateful harassment from many of the students and my job is to step in if they become violent.”
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EXTRA MILER: Be part of Southern Indiana’s week of kindness
Julie Schwerer, executive director of the Bliss House in Jeffersonville, is a bundle of energy with a contagious spirit. She can speak at warp speed when truly excited and last week she may have broken through the sound barrier as she spoke of an anonymous donation to the Bliss House.
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