By Glenn Koster
Walking Through Life
Most who have followed this column for the past year know that I walk a lot. In fact, I have now walked over 2,900 miles just this year. Most also know that I walk to raise awareness for foster care and adoption. For me, this is simply part of “Walking Through Life.”
In July, I was walking across the state of Michigan—from Central Lake in the northern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula, to Grand Rapids where my second adopted Mom lived until she passed away on April 13, to Flint where I was adopted the second time, to Hazel Park where my first adoption occurred.
Unfortunately, that walk did not end as planned. I was in serious pain in Cadillac and stopped in at the local hospital, where I was informed that I was simply getting old because I now had arthritis in my lower back. I continued on my journey, but on July 21, I took a nasty fall near Portland and ended up in the emergency room again. Fortunately, there were no broken bones, but my walk across Michigan was done. Not to be deterred, I changed plans and drove the rest of our planned route. However, that’s for another column and another time.
Yes, those events did stop my walking (some) for many weeks. This was all a lesson to me that sometimes life will be filled with detours and difficulties. However, we must learn to overcome those things that would hold us back.
I returned home to learn that my walking was suspended and that I would have to go through physical therapy. Fortunately, I recently successfully completed that therapy and on Oct. 8 made my first “county to county” walk since my summer fall. I walked nearly 22 miles from Lakin to Garden City. I am back to normal on my walking now.
In life, when things set us back or get in our way, we need to take a similar approach to overcoming those obstacles.
First, we must never give up. Commit to going on, even if we have to detour or change our plans for getting to where we were headed.
Secondly, we must stop to think carefully about where we are headed and why. I was walking across Michigan to raise awareness for adoption and to relive a great deal of my past that I had buried away. I needed to reawaken those memories so that I could truly move on.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, we must learn to allow others to help us as needed and to encourage us. My wife, Charlcie, was a critical part of my double experiences in Michigan ER facilities, in my journey through recovery, and in the renewal of my walking endeavors.
When life gets in the way, never let it stop your journey through life.
Glenn Koster is a former reporter, a retired pastor, and a retired IT professional who spends most of his time now walking and working with various Reno County non-profits. He can be reached at Glenn.Koster@gmail.com or by phone at 620-960-4492.