Don’t waste your time waiting

Editor's note: Daren Schumaker of Cedar Rapids and Dennis Lee of Walford are attempting to run across Iowa's 99 counties to raise money for the American Heart Association. They have completed 62 counties. This is No. 62. Next: Clarke

By Daren Schumaker, community contributor

Each of us spends a lot of time waiting. Waiting for an alarm clock to sound, waiting for the right moment to approach a crush, waiting in line at a grocery store, or waiting for a friend to catch their breath during a long run.

Waiting is something we encounter on a daily basis - whether we want to or not. Waiting can be good, but it also can result in some of the worst feelings we can experience - silently waiting and hoping our dreams will come true, or waiting too long to step out of your comfort zone and take a chance, allowing a golden opportunity to pass by without acting.

We've all heard 'haste makes waste.” This statement is true, but so is the reality that waiting can make a fair amount of waste, too.

On Aug. 10, we departed Walford at 6 a.m. and headed west before dipping south to Keokuk County. Darl Van Rheenen (and his wife) joined us for another adventure, and we soon found ourselves standing on Highway 92 on the western edge of Keokuk County, the same place where we had ended our journey across Mahaska County.

We started eastward at 7:25 a.m. and climbed a steady three-mile hill, cutting through the cool 65 degree breeze that was blowing in our faces. We turned south on Highway 21, rolled into the city limits of Delta, and quickly returned to Highway 92 where we would continue the rest of our run - all 20-plus miles of it.

Soon we picked out a water tower on the horizon and settled in to a nice pace, waiting for our destination to arrive. After charging up a few inclines of increasing grade, we found ourselves at the top of a hill on the western edge of Sigourney. We soaked in the sights in Sigourney, stopping in the town square to pose for a photograph in front of the Keokuk County Courthouse. We shot out of Sigourney on Highway 92, with more than half of our journey remaining on the road in front of us.

We waited for the clouds to part and the sun to bake us - something that, luckily, did not happen. We waited for the hills that regularly appeared on the horizon to level out - something that did happen, albeit briefly before they reappeared with a frequency and steepness that we had not yet experienced.

We waited for our legs to tire and our pace to slow - something that, fortunately, did not happen because we were fearful the 'haste” of our pace early may cause us to 'waste” away toward the end of our run.

We simply waited for the miles to pass.

However, our waiting was not wasteful. We enjoyed the surrounding summertime scenery - birds of many varieties, finely groomed lawns, tall corn and a Great Dane that would have surely mauled us if not for our luck and, more importantly, the beast's shock collar. We enjoyed each other's company, discussing many topics that would best not be discussed again, let alone written for future generations to read.

Soon we passed over the peak of our last hill and found ourselves on the eastern edge of Keokuk County, 26.2 miles from where we had started and a mere 3:42:25 later. It might seem like a long time to run, a long time to wait for a finish line, but we weren't just waiting during that time, we were acting. We were moving. We were living. We were in charge.

The moral of the story? Waiting can be good. Waiting for an injury to heal properly or for a friend to gain their composure before finishing a run together are good things. However, waiting can also be bad. If you wait too long, things pass you by.

The crush you meant to approach gets married and has children. Your grandparents, who you always meant to spend more time with, die. The weight that you wanted to lose this summer still is there as the leaves change color. Goals and opportunities don't typically knock on your door, so don't sit on your couch waiting for them to do so.

Go find them yourself. Literally run down your goals and the opportunities that you've been looking for. Catch them, wrestle them into submission, and run them down again if they manage to escape.

None of us wants to 'waste” our life away doing foolish things, but too many of us are too willing to sit and wait for life to come to us. Get up, get active. Do something, anything. Live your life, make what you want of it. Each of us needs to remember it's just as easy to 'wait” your life away as it is to 'waste” it away.

Take chances. Be confident, as confidence is a stain you can't wipe off.

Inspiration through perspiration. Become active or make a donation to Team 99 Counties or the American Heart Association to help fight heart disease.