I’ve eaten a lot of strange foods on the race but I’ve never eaten frog. That being said, I remember when I was younger someone telling me how to boil a frog. They said that you couldn’t boil the water and then throw the frog in; it will jump out. Obviously…who wants to be thrown into scalding water? Instead, you put the frog in and then slowly bring the water to a boil. While ultimately the result is des cuisses de grenouille, the change in the process made it possible.
A strange analogy but my point is change over time is hard for an individual to see. Right now racers are like the second frog. Boiling metaphors aside, we’ve been going through this awesome season of growth and change, but it’s a little hard to see on ourselves. Yes, we can realize something’s different but I don’t think it’s going to completely set in until we get home. The same goes with looking at your reflection in a mirror. As humans, we are somewhat blinded to see change in ourselves. Everyday you continue to just see you. It’s not until you look at a picture of 5, 10+ years ago that you realize how much you’ve actually changed.
Dear family and friends: This is where you come in.
We’re going to look different when we come back and that’s ok. We may not be able to fit into the same molds that we did before, so don’t try to force it.
We need you to be a different type of mirror. When you see this change in us, let us know! Encourage us to keep growing rather than say that we’re not the same as who we once were. That’s the idea! Past racers have found that 11 months isn’t enough to solidify this change. What it takes is a firm commitment to stay in a place of growth and a solid community.
So what do you say? Are you up to the challenge?
Sincerely,
Katie
