Always Forward

His left hand pressed firmly against the grey granite walls of the cave. The rock was cold and lifeless, but it provided to the young prince a sense of security against the dragon that lie ahead, known only to his imagination, a dragon with a blazing breath, some said, that pulverized bones as if they were crystals of salt dropped into a glass of water. Pul-ver-ized. All that had survived of the brave princes that had walked before him was their chainmail, which he was reminded of by the shards of metal that lay strewn about in the sand of the passage floor.

{cptags} I’m a big fan of making things that should be easy, easy. One of those things is technology. Technology ought to enhance, enrich, and simplify our lives, not make them more tedious and complex.

{cptags} Over the past 6 weeks, I’ve been traveling the nation, exploring our cities, getting a sense of their people and character. What has struck me most is that the American city is alive.

{cptags} I’m in Quebec for the North American Championships being held at Valcartier. The last time I was here, the last time that I raced in the spring, was in 2006, a few weeks after the Olympic Games. So much has changed since then, but most objectively is that now, I am 25 years old. I’m old.

{cptags} There are, in fact, crazy people in the world. Some are certifiably suffering from psychological disorders. There are some, however, who, because of their strong attachment to their beliefs, must reconcile the difference between those beliefs and reality by conjuring up stories of falsehood and conspiracy.

{cptags} I have an uncanny ability to remember where I was and what I was doing on such and such a date in the past. As an athlete, I had a very predictable life. Life follows the seasons, the snow, and the circus of training camps and competitions. Each year was similar to the previous.

Guard Biathlete Chases Gold Medal Dreams CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING and competitive shooting are two drastically different sports. Cross-country skiing requires strength, stamina and the dedication to not give up when things get tough. Competitive shooting requires hawk-like vision, a steady touch and tremendous amounts of patience.

{cptags} An inversion is a meteorological phenomenon, but it also describes my life now vis-à-vis the past 10 years.