Vince's Journey

So after 8 months of silence, I'm ready to get back in to the blogging business. I really can't explain why it's been so long. I guess it's similar to a movie I recently watched (a very bad movie, I might add) called Ruby Sparks. It was about a brilliant writer (and I know I'll never be considered a brilliant writer) who had lost his creative edge and couldn't come up with anything good to write about. He finally makes up a fake woman who comes to life, he falls in love with her and he spends his days writing what she's going to do next. As I said, it was a pretty stupid movie but I guess writers' block is the only explanation I have as to why I haven't felt like blogging....that and laziness. So why did Woody Hayes'100th birthday inspire me to get back in to the blogging business? His birthday was actually yesterday - Valentines Day. Pretty ironic isn't it. Well there's a web site I go to to catch up on all the latest Ohio State news and yesterday everyone was telling their personal Woody Hayes stories. While I was a student at Ohio State I would see Woody occasionally walking across the Oval and say hello; he'd always smile and politely say, "How are you young, man." I'd also go to the Friday night pep rallies and watch him go berserk until they'd lead him off the stage. He'd have you so fired up you'd be ready to run through a brick wall; no one could motivate quite like Woody. But I think what I remember most about Woody is he'd always talk about 'Paying forward'. Here's an excerpt from his 1986 Ohio State commencement speech where he talks about this very subject.... "I would like to start with something I have used in almost every speech, and this is, "paying forward." And that is the thing that you folks can do with your great education for the rest of your life. Try to take that attitude toward life, that you're going to pay forward. So seldom can we pay back because those who helped most--your parents and other people--will be gone, but you'll find that you do want to pay. Emerson had something to say about that: "You can pay back only seldom." But he said, "You can always pay forward, and you must pay line for line, deed for deed, and cent for cent." He said, "Beware of too much good accumulating in your palm or it will fast corrupt." That was Emerson's attitude, and no one put it better than he did." 'Paying forward' has become a very important part of my life. So yesterday as all the posters on the Buckeye site shared their stories, I wanted to share about the impact Woody's words have had on me. I started this blog in October of 2005 when I was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. This came as quite a shock but through the support of many, many people I'm still here 8 years later and my family and I have made aiding the fight against blood related cancers our most important cause. Currently, I proudly serve as president of our local Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) chapter and I've met many wonderful and dedicated people as a result of our involvement. I've been asked to speak on behalf of LLS on multiple occasions and once I actually talked about Woody being the inspiration behind me 'paying it forward'. I'm keenly aware of that I'm here today because of the work and sacrifices of close to 50 years of volunteer efforts for the LLS. Many people weren't as fortunate as I've been, back when the LLS was founded a blood cancer diagnosis was basically a death sentence - today that is not the case, today being told you have leukemia or lymphoma doesn't mean you're going to die - you can beat it. That's why Woody's words are so important...people who I never met sacrificed so that I could live. It's very humbling and it's the reason I'll continue to do all I can to help the LLS strive toward achieving a mission that 50 years ago may have seemed impossible - to cure all blood related cancers. I can't tell you how many times I've heard it said, "Someday we're going to cure cancer." To the LLS, someday is today. So Woody has inspired me to not only 'pay it forward', but get back to blogging, as well. It's an honor to pass his message along whenever I get the chance; Pay it forward and great things will happen. You'll be glad you did....Happy birthday, Woody...you were one of a kind.