I Agreed to do What!?

I have said it before.  My kids keep me young. Today however, I appear to be regressing.  Perhaps you have heard about this ice bucket challenge to raise money for ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease?  Well, the challenge goes something like this, you get called out by someone and then you have a choice of pouring a bucket of ice water over your head or donating $100 to the cause.  I guess many people are actually doing both.  And yes, before we go further, I have been called out by none other than "The Ninja."  Whining did not work.  She simply reminded me that I swam through an industrial sized dumpster full of ice water when I did the Tough Mudder last year.

Of course, she and I cannot just accept a challenge at the basic level.  We have both watched multiple videos of people doing this.  Oh yes, you are required to video tape yourself doing this.  One of her friends, suggested that since we are farm people we should dump water out of a front loader on a tractor on ourselves.  Now, for a few odd minutes that made perfect sense and goes with our general motto of go big or go home.  And of course, I forget to filter my thoughts and immediately said "Let's show everyone else how it is really done!"

I was not a daredevil as a child.  I was a bit of a wallflower who never tried new and exciting things.  I lived in my books!  What in God's name is happening to me!?  Is this part of the aging process. I knew eventually I would start slipping mentally, but I never expected this!!!!!  This woman is also trying to convince me to do at least a half ironman.  Wasn't three marathons and a Tough Mudder enough!?  I did those because I was tired of my kids getting all the acclaim for their athletic endeavors.  Want to know how many newspaper articles I have been in for all my efforts?  Well, let's get real.  No one wants to see an old person doing ridiculous things!

But, here I go.  Headed to the Ninja's to be recorded having a front loader full of ice water dumped on our heads.  I will still make a donation to ALS, and I will hope that it goes to the cause itself and not to line the pocket of a CEO with more money than he or she can possibly use in a lifetime.  The disease has been around for a while, and there has been absolutely no progress in finding a cure for it. If you want a better idea of what happens to someone with ALS, read Mitch Albom's book "Tuesdays With Morrie".   To everyone who has already accepted the challenge - Here's to the Cure!  To my children, plan on being called out one by one until you have all been named.  Have some fun with it, get a group together and help get rid of this horrible condition.  To everyone my age, if you get called out - do it!  A little brain freeze just might be the thing you need to stay young and full of life and laughter!