July 28, 2010 Michael AugustineLisez en Francais
Life is a learning curve, and there are some pretty sharp turns along the way to where you want to go.
I’ve not posted an update for some time. Primarily it’s because my MS is getting worse. As I have secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, that means that whatever I lose, I lose for good. Secondly, my personal life has suffered some serious setbacks and I now find myself at the beginning of a new phase in my life, and I’ve a long way to travel before I “learn” to navigate its “curves.”
The timing is ironic. As the 2010 RONA MS Bike Tour season continues, and with the 2011 MS WALK a few months from beginning its initial planning stages, I am reminded of the parallels between these events and the journey everyone must make while living with multiple sclerosis.
Like everything else, it is about planning for the future, while understanding that the road ahead is never fully predictable. It’s about taking things one step - one kilometer - at a time, and keeping your eye on your destination and not on the road beneath you. It is about sometimes getting tired, sometimes getting lost, and sometimes even falling, but never losing site of the fact that those times are only just a small part of the whole journey.
I had planned to climb to Mount Everest Base Camp this October to raise much needed funds to help those like me who live with this disease. I eventually came to realize that I needed to focus on making myself better before I could do the same for others. Therefore my trip has been postponed until next October.
Am I daunted? Oh, yes. Am I scared? Most certainly! But as I said, this is just another step on the path towards becoming the person I want to be - whom I’m truly meant to be... I just need to keep my focus and let my feet take care of themselves.
I still have many months to go before I can reach my goal, and many steps to make before I’ll get there. But if I take it a step at a time, there’s no telling how far I’ll go, or what I will accomplish when I reach my destination. Even by myself I can still achieve truly amazing things, but together, you and I can accomplish miracles.
Together - we can finally end MS!
Technorati tags: endMS, multiple sclerosis, learning curve
June 24, 2009 Michael AugustineLisez en Francais
Although there are still a few dollars trickling in, the numbers speak volumes: 59 MS Walks in Ontario hosted over 29,500 walkers, and raised a combined total of over $6 million!
I believe the MS Society of Canada has the most amazing volunteers and fundraisers in this country. Congratulations to all of you for proving to the nay-sayers and doubters out there that this recession can’t hold us back! I am proud to be counted among such outstanding individuals.
See you all on April 18th, 2010. Next year, let’s blow our totals out of the water!!!
Irreverently yours,
Aug, who’s walking on sunshine...
Technorati tags: endMS, multiple sclerosis, MS Walk
April 16, 2009 Michael AugustineLisez en Francais
The 2009 MS WALK is almost here!
This last month, I’ve been busy fundraising, doing whatever I can to help the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada in it’s mission to be a leader in finding a cure for multiple sclerosis and enabling people affected by MS to enhance their quality of life.
My baking “stimulus packages” have been a huge success, and trading baked goods for fundraising donations has proven to be a sweet deal for everyone involved. I’ve already raised nearly $1,000 towards my goal and more is coming in every day.
For those of you who have already registered, I congratulate you on the fundraising work you’ve done so far. If you haven’t registered yet, it’s definitely not too late - there’s still plenty of time to hop on board and help the 55,000 to 75,000 Canadians affected by multiple sclerosis. You can all be proud that Canada raises more money per person then any other country in the fight to end MS - but there is still more to be accomplished.
Click here to register today. With over 160 MS Walk’s happening across the country, you’ll be certain to find a site near you. Come join us, and be part of making history happen - be part of the cure!
Remember - you never really know what you can do until you stand up and decide to try!
Irreverently Yours,
Aug, who’s “rising” to the challenge (sorry for the baking joke ;-)
Technorati tags: endMS, multiple sclerosis, MS Walk