A few Monday nights past, my wife and I swayed down the Embarcadero near Pier 33.
"Can I offer you folks a ride down to Market Street? You just missed the cable car and it's a great night for a ride." the young buck chattered, pedaling swiftly and going nowhere.
"Actually, we're really good. I've had a couple beers, so I can't feel my legs and feet right now. We may pay for it in the morning, but I think we're gonna hoof it." The cabbie bid us adieu and disappeared into the night, save his blinking red tail lights and high pitched bell that made me want ice cream in a weird Pavlovian way. I looked down at the sidewalk and began trying with all of my might not to break my mother's back on the cracks below me. After saving my mother from her unknown fate for several minutes, I looked up at my sweet wife and babbled:
"Sorry, sweetie. I know we should've taken that ride because we've been walking all day, but I wanted to walk with you tonight. I want this to be one of those nights we look back on when we're older and smile. Years from now, when my body won't let me walk anymore, I don't want to say 'I wish we would've walked that night in San Francisco.' So we're walking. And we're holding hands. And that's that." She rolled her eyes and kissed me. It was nice.
This state of euphoria was yet another realization that I am doing good things with my life. I'm making people happy. I'm sharing my CF story and my thoughts on life to help the CF Community in whatever way I can.
This particular trip was about two things. The first was being the guest speaker at the A Night of Wine and 65 Roses event benefiting the Northern California Chapter of the CF Foundation. I hope my words were one of the reasons the night was so successful. I did my best to speak with passion and honesty. I believe when someone speaks from their heart, the audience can feel that and the imperfections melt away. I try to be real because that's what CF is...real. It was a special evening for me and I have Helen, Amanda and the hard working staff at the Northern California Chapter of the CFF to thank for it. If you're in the area next summer, I highly suggest you make it there. Love to you all.
The second was about connection. I was a bit embarrassed by the wonderful reception we received the moment we arrived in Petaluma. Carly and I loved the time we spent with CF Families that we'd only seen in pictures. They went out of their way to make us feel the same way Moganko makes their children feel: Special. We also met up with a few friends (What up Rosie Posey, Leeners and Jess!) and strengthened our already strong relationships. I love each of them with all my heart. We made memories from this trip that will last a lifetime. The kind of moments that erase the "shoulda, coulda, wouldas" and turn them in to "dids". I'm truly a blessed man. It doesn't take a moonlit walk down the street in San Fran to realize that.
I wanted to post the entire speech, but it's 16 minutes and that made YouTube angry for some reason. So I posted a snippet of the speech instead.
Look for me as a guest speaker at CF Education Days in Missouri, Texas and Virginia in the upcoming months. I'm looking forward to many more experiences full of love, honesty and humor that I can cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you for everything in advance. My life makes my heart happy.
If you'd like to have me speak at your events, please email me at: welcometojoshland@gmail.com
Peaceful Things,
Josh
