In The Clear

People seem to be taking a peculiar delight in the fall of Marion Jones, former Olympian, an unbelievably fast runner, holder of many, many gold medals, and user of a human growth replacement, known as "the clear." Rumors have circulated about this practice for years, and now the time is nigh that such sadness is visited upon her in the form of public humiliation, confession, repentance, and possible punishment. She lied about it for years, said one indignant sportscaster, as if all the other athletes who doped told everyone right away, sent little cards out to friends and family, like wedding invitations. Actually, Marion did send apology letters to many people which might prove to be one of the damning points of evidence in her case. Once the world's highest paid female athlete with endorsement deals reaching into the millions, she's had a complicated personal life, has squandered and suffered much, is in danger of bankruptcy. From all her efforts, she's reported to have less than two thousand dollars in her bank account. Which, now that I think about it, doesn't sound that bad unless you take remember she worked for years to become who she is and won't ever be it again.

One of my favorite quotes is from the great Jimi Hendrix, the one about if he seems free, it's because he's always running. I don't run too fast or too far, but I get it. I've been running for as long as I can remember -- from trouble, to trouble, from messes I've made. I confess to using any number of performance-enhancing drugs -- by any means necessary, right? The race is a long one. Most of it you do on your own, no matter what help you have. For a little while, Marion Jones was the fastest woman in the world. What that must have been like! To run and run and beat everyone in your path. When you're going that fast, you don't notice anything. The world falls away. And isn't that the point of any drug?

Michelle's Spell of the Day
"I never thought of losing, but now that it' s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life." Muhammad Ali

Cocktail Hour
Drinking novel suggestion: Desperate Characters Paula Fox

Benedictions and Maledictions
Happy Sunday!