Katie Duffy is a giver. I’ve never met her, but I have evidence to support my statement.
a. Her blog, Mrs. Duffy’s Marathon Blog, is one of the top 10 sites that directs traffic to my blog
b. She just gave me the “Cherry on Top” award (“for beautiful blogs with that little bit extra,” awe) and said some very nice things about me and my writing, both in this comment and on her blog.
Frankly, I think that’s enough evidence. What else do you need to know? If you have questions, I suggest you go research the answers.
Apparently though this is the kind of award that comes with strings attached. I’ve got to pay it forward, which I don’t mind doing but I hope my Six Picks don’t get cranky when I meme them. I am too tired to fight it, so I’m going to play by the rules, which are [slightly corny but who am I to judge]:
1. Answer this question: if you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?
2. The second thing you have to do is, pick 6 people and give them this award. You then have to inform the person that they have gotten this award.
3. The third and final thing is, thank the person who gave you the award.
Okay Sunshine, you ready for this? 1-2-3 easy breezy instructions. (Could be harder; there could be a fourth step. Just ask Feist or The Plain White T’s. Or there could be 12 Steps, fuuuuck. Wait, I’m digressing…)
1. Yes I would go back and change a thing or two (or twenty) in my life. It’s a long list and quite personal, so the only one I am going to share with you all today has to do with running: I wish I’d started in with this sport earlier in life, like in high school. I wish I had memories of being on the team, going to practice at the high school track at the bottom of the hill at the intersection of Vets Highway and Lincoln Boulevard, gaining an appreciation for speed, pain and sweat at a tender age. I wish I’d had running to carry me through the sadder, awkward days of my young adulthood. College would have been less stressful had I been able to turn to the rhythm of the run, and I have a feeling I wouldn’t be nearly as fucked in the head now if I had two decades of miles grooved into my brain and built up in my legs. But who knows–maybe if I’d started running when I was 15 my knees would be shot, or I’d be over the sport and onto other pursuits like TRIATHLONS (Gasp! Horrors!).
2. My sweets. My funny, dear, entrusted, motivating, provocative blogging friends. Consider yourself appreciated, consider yourselves memed. ALEX is a kind traveler. AMY has only just begun. JOHN is congenial and literary. JOE is a softie. MICHELLE is a plucky bunny. SARAH is racy, and marvellously Midwestern.
3. Mrs. Duffy, before I thank you I have to tell you that the name of your blog does you a disservice. You are in your 30’s, and yet whenever I see “Mrs. Duffy’s Marathon Blog” pop up in my analytics, I imagine you as a grayhaired grandma trotting out your golden years with the Marathon Maniacs. A split second later I snap back and remember you are in fact my very age… but your big generous heart self-identifies as wife-of. That is a beautiful, tricky thing and you have my admiration for that. The world needs more of your upbeat tone, self-deprecation and humor. Thank you for giving me an award on the very day I’m standing at the bottom of a black hole, squinting to see the pinhole of light at the top. That award reflects some of the light and makes it a little bit brighter down here.
UPWARD. FORWARD. Now, where’s that bottle of red wine?
Pigtails Flying 
Congrats on the “cherry on top” award. I think I need to get to know this Mrs. Doubtfire…I mean Duffy.
Done.
As to changing, I hate to say it but you did miss out, running up that hill on Charles Street and such. Would your knees be gone? Who knows? I’m still holding up OK. And be careful about triathlon jokes. They can get you into trouble, as I well know.
I also thought Mrs. Duffy was some old woman.
Er, point well taken. Truthfully, I started running soon after getting married (and surprising myself by not keeping my name) and then started puttering around with a running blog (largely to stop inundating friends / family / coworkers with my shiny new obsession) shortly thereafter. I think the name probably betrays some of my unexpressed-at-the-time discomfort with identifying as 1) a grownup; 2) a wife; 3) an athlete — things that certainly haven’t played out and / or fully articulated themselves in my head.
Anyway, I keep it. It’s home. Thank you for your kind words, and I hope things are looking better – or that you at least broke out that bottle of wine!
I completely understand what you mean about being awkward about ways in which we could define or describe ourselves.
I still feel like the authorities are going to come and revoke my Grown-Up membership card any moment now.
Aww,what a nice award . . . I like the spirit behind it very much! TK you get my Cherry on Top award every day!
Ooh. A new good blog. Thanks for introducing me to Mrs. Duffy.
It’s never too late to tri!