Who Is Bill Rogers?

   One of our primary reasons for taking this trip was to be at the dedication of the new track at Dwayne's school, Woodlawn School in Davidson, NC.

   The Balloons were out in the school colors..

   The stage was set, a beautiful day, a great setting..

   The student body got out of class to attend..

   As Mayre and I watched (proudly, I might add), the thought came to me. There were about 300 or so people in attendance, and I wondered how many had even heard of the main speaker for the occasion.

   Bill Rogers, an icon in the running boom in the US and around the world, now 68 years old, was famous in his time, but, alas, his time was before most of the people in attendance were even born.

 

(Bill Rogers with our grandson, Sawyer)

   Bill Rogers won the Boston Marathon 4 times, won the NY Marathon the same number of times and was an Olympic runner in the 1976 games. He was also the favorite for the gold in the 1980 before the US boycotted the games in Moscow that year (ironically enough because of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan).

   When I began my jogging career back in the late 70s, Bill was the one I read about, the one who wore the same running shoes. Here he was talking with me about marathons; his many and my one.

   But most of his listeners did not even know him or about him. What did that have to say about lasting fame and the permanence of earthly glory?

   I thought of a quote attributed to Gen. George Patten:

“For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.”

   "The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of God lasts forever"

   Bill Rogers seemed to enjoy his day at Woodlawn, but it was more about what he was seeing and participating in that claimed his attention. He was much more focused on the present than his past.

   And that was a good thing..