04/26/2018 Thursday 0500 at Hill City
YHC woke up a little late and staggered into the gloom with eyes still slightly crusted over. Its the responsibility of QIC to bring the energy. To be perfectly honest, YHC was struggling this morning, struggling to bring it. But I was there, because by my own word I committed to being there.
There are days you commit to that #DRP because you know, no matter how you feel, that your community is relying on you to be there. Whether its your turn to bring the beat down or just make sure there’s not a man standing out alone under the street light. And the guy next to you might need you to bring that energy. That might be what changes the course of the day for that man.
The time was taken to put together a slightly new routine, not a reinvention of the wheel but a new take on a classic.
After the trademark warm-up the PAX began the “AROD” aka the Grand Slam Dora (at which point Sundance made a mystical appearance) — it wasn’t a disaster but YHC quickly saw the flaw in the plan and started thinking through ways it could be improved for next time.
The AROD aka Grand-slam Dora
While 1 pax goes exploring the rest of the pax perform an exercise of the Q’s choosing and continue doing that exercise until all pax have gone out and back. repeat with a different exercise each time.
This got a little monotonous with just merkins for 10 minutes/LBC/Squats for just as long. YHC would recommend modifying by allowing the exploring pax to call the AMRAP exercise to be executed while the run is being made.
We moseyed back to The Hill for a little 5 MOM to close things out.
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What are your hopes?
YHC spoke from the heart. With all of the changes and growth YHC realized it’s important to continually articulate personal goals and intentions in regard to desires for the community.
In YHC’s mind it’s obvious and clear. No one knows what’s going on in your heart and mind. If they’ve just gotten on the boat, they might not know the heading.
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With that in mind, YHC shared that it’s important to give your hopes a voice. Talk with your wife about what you want for your household (and listen to what she wants too #ALR). Sit down with your manager or boss and let them know where you hope the trajectory of your career is going.
If you have a mentor in your life (no? then get one), bounce it off of them first. Turn those hopes into goals.
Turn the abstract, I hope to lose weight into the practical my goal is to lose 15lbs in 1 month.
And here’s the kicker, your brothers out here in the gloom? They are here to hold you to those goals. The accountability we talk about does not start at 0530 and end at 0615 — it should be carrying through the days.
The Take-a-way
YHC hopes this community develops into a handful of AOs that can make each neighborhood they serve a stronger and more vibrant group of men to better serve our region.
YHC hopes these AOs are equipped, empowered, and inspired to start working towards creating programming for all 3 F’s:
Fitness, Fellowship, AND Faith
YHC hopes that as we continue to move towards our independence that we will grow closer together and that we will have a considerable reputation in Chattanooga for transformation of individuals and service of our community.
Now, YHC humbly asks for help in turning these hopes into goals.
Capture the flag
After all was said and done with COT the PAX noticed that there was no shovel flag, curiously enough it was there at the start.
Everyone walked around the AO thinking maybe it had fallen and been relocated to a safer more stable location, no luck. We asked some of the homeless folks who’d been camped out under the shelter, because it was a rainy morning after all.
15 minutes or so had gone by and all the reasonable real estate had been covered. As YHC was getting ready to give up and head on home Prosciutto drove up and made a suggestion that we should slip some of the homeless folks a couple bucks for the intel. Fissure decided to take him up on the challenge.
For about $5 one of the lady’s cackled and growled at one of her neighbors:
“Don’t you dare say I said nothin!” the woman exhaled and the YHC heard the answer from a distance. But it seemed as if she was still trying to speak in some sort of code.
“erm..Go down the second trail”
Fissure glanced back with a somewhat confused look on his face
she repeated it, “they was on bikes and went down there. its the second trail.”
YHC had a somewhat of a surprised look.
Fissure moved his car a little closer to the sidewalk that leads down to the river, as if in prep for a quick get-a-way.
YHC said one thing “I don’t want to get stabbed down there?!”
Fissure said something like “I’ll go down there if you do”
With an overcast sky and the early morning sun just barely providing enough light, we headed down the sidewalk. Luckily, we had enough adrenaline and testosterone still pumping through our veins from the workout that neither one of us would have admitted to being scared at all. But I’m pretty sure if you’d have asked either one of us to draw a straight line neither one of us could’ve done it.
We got to the bottom of the sidewalk and there it was… the second trail. YHC stuck is head in and looked back at Fissure. The tree covering was thick and the outline of the trail was just shorter than either one of us so we had to duck down. There was a lot of trash and what appeared to be the silhouette of tent.
YHC knew that we just had to keep moving forward but needed to be on guard — this was unfamiliar and unstable territory. We plodded down the slick and muddy trail stepping carefully over roots so we didn’t trip.
YHC hollered forward in hopes of engaging whoever (or whatever) may be back there. The last thing YHC wanted to do was catch some coked up junky off guard and catch the business end of a dull kitchen utensil.
“HEY, uh HELLO.. IS THERE ANYONE BACK HERE”
We heard a soft response..
“uh yes.. hello?”
“DID YALL TAKE A SHOVEL”
“hellooo we’re back here”
YHC Repeated the question “DID YALL TAKE A SHOVEL”
“oh.. uh yes. uh. just a second.. we were just borrowing it.”
What appeared to be a walking dreadlock emerged from a tent that might have been built entirely from umbrellas and tarp.
The guy was obviously caught a little off guard and might have been slightly high but kindly returned the shovel.. he was just “borrowing” after all. He repeated a few more times.
YHC and Fissure dialogued for a moment with the guy and after getting our property back we headed for the parking lot. Sure to keep one eye on our six. We discussed a few things on the way back up, how we could help the guy or bring him something back that might replace his now missing shovel. Still thinking about this one — we can serve these folks some how.
But the resolution: We had recaptured our flag.
Props to Fissure and Pro for making it happen. Another hallmark in the strength we bring to one another.
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This community makes YHC better. And for that there isn’t enough thanks that can be communicated to every single person. Your time and commitment is appreciated.
YHC knows our time is valuable and you choose to give it away for you brothers.
TCLAPS to all of our brothers in F3chatt and across f3nation.
_Angus Out