Day 9: Boys in the Boat

I have some advice for anyone who is about to undertake something difficult that will involve willpower: read Boys in the Boat.

I enjoy walking and jogging much more if I have a good book to listen to, but as I was recently on my library's site, looking for audio titles to download to my phone, each one I picked had one or two people in line ahead of me. I put several audio books on hold, but I wanted something to listen to now. Then I came across the title Boys in the Boat, and remembered that several people had recommended it.

It has turned out to be the perfect read for starting a new adventure like giving up sugar! One's petty little battles can seem insurmountable until you read a story like this. Here I am, jogging along on a lovely trail, under a perfect blue sky with the loveliest cool breeze, listening to a book about boys rowing for three hours every night in Seattle all through the winter in freezing rain, in the dark, muscles aching.

One's own challenges begin to be put into perspective.

But it isn't just the physical challenges in the book that make it so compelling, it's the true life story of boy named Joe Rants. After his mother died when he was 4, his father remarried and his step mom hated Joe. When Joe was 10, she demanded that he live on his own, so he had to sleep at the school house each night, and work at hard physical labor to earn his food. He was never allowed to come home. When he was 15, his dad, stepmom, and half siblings moved to another city but told him he couldn't come along, so he was completely on his own.

I don't normally gravitate to sports stories, but this one is truly exceptional. It's not just about some boys winning the Olympics in Berlin, it's about the endurance of poor western farm boys beating the rowing teams of eastern affluent Ivy League schools. The boys from Washington State won because of their courage and commitment. They had no advantages in their lives. They worked all summer at extreme physical labor to earn their way through college. They worked during the school year, on top of rowing for three hours every night and keeping up on their studies. And most importantly, they learned to depend on one another.

I finished the book today and I'm very glad those other books weren't available. I love to hear stories about self-discipline, courage, and overcoming hardship. Don't we all? It makes us realize our own challenges are well within our reach if we are determined.

Anyone going to join me on this sugarless journey? If so, leave a comment.