Posts by J Hall (Page 2)

Posts by J Hall (Page 2)

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What do I do with this?

We have all received gifts before that made us ask the question, “what do I do with this?” Whether it was an odd trinket, a hand-me down family item, or something you just didn’t need or want – these items can be difficult to figure out. For me, it was right before I moved off to college in the Summer of 2011. I was visiting some family I didn’t see too often and was gifted an item I was unsure…

Time to Persevere

When she was young, Florence Chadwick wanted desperately to be a great speed swimmer. At the age of six she persuaded her parents to enter her in a 50-yard race. She came in last, so she practiced every day for the new year. Again, she entered and lost. When she was an 11-year-old, Florence won attention and praise for completing the San Diego Bay endurance swim — 6 miles in all. But she still wanted to be a speed swimmer.…

Focused on the Finish

The name of an elite runner from Tanzania was written in sports history books at the 1968 Olympics—without him winning one medal. John Stephen Akhwari joined the field of seventy-eight competitors in Mexico City for a twenty-six-mile marathon. Around the halfway mark, Akhwari suffered severe injuries when he became entangled with other runners, stumbled, and hit the track with full-body force.  A medic team rushed to his aid, bandaging his bloody wounds and dislocated knee, and recommended the obvious withdrawal…

Olympic Faith

Kerri Strug became an overnight sensation and beloved figure to all Americans based on her inspiring performance at the 1996 Olympics.  At only 18 years old, Keri helped her team win gold in the most dramatic fashion. The US ladies’ team had gotten off to such a strong start in the Games that the press dubbed them “The Magnificent Seven,” but as the competition heated up, it soon became clear that the Russians were a force to be reckoned with.…
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Overexposure

In the medical world, the term “overexposure” means, “excessive exposure, especially to something harmful.” While construction workers or athletes can experience overexposure due to their prolonged period in the Sun or extreme exercise (hyperthermia), people living in colder climates can experience overexposure symptoms (hypothermia) when they are stranded or without adequate layers. One famous example of the later situation can be seen in the true story titled “the man who refused to freeze.” This account of extreme survival happened to…

Symptomatic

The law of “Cause & Effect” is one that we as humans are keenly aware of. The idea that certain actions or events will inevitably lead to certain effects is something we become familiar with at an extremely young age.  As we grow and mature the reality of just how prevalent this law is in every aspect of our lives (health, finances, social, relationships, etc.) only become clearer. A good example of how we recognize this pattern can be seen…

The Pause that Refreshes

In the late 1920s, America’s economy was heading into a depression. Robert Woodruff, Coca-Cola’s president, was looking for a way to set Coke apart from other soft drinks and make it more appealing at a time when people were struggling financially. Life for the individual was getting busier in a more modern world and Woodruff wanted to encourage people to slow down and take time to enjoy Coke and to drink it often. His hope was to make Coca-Cola more…
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A Cautionary Tale

As defined, a cautionary tale is a story told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. These stories are often told by parents or caring adults to younger children to teach them valuable lessons on what to do and what not to do in certain situations. One trademark part of these tales is the over-exaggerated details and consequences that are made up to stress the impact of the lesson being taught. From the danger of swallowing watermelon seeds…
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Christmas Truce

    In December of 1914 World War I had only been a conflict for a mere 5 months. Despite this, as Christmas approached soldiers’ morale was already extremely low and the causality rates extremely high.  This made what happened on Christmas day of that year that much more inspiring and surprising. Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops fighting in World War I sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points, the Allied soldiers even heard…
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Crucial Connection

  In October of 1962, the world came perhaps the closest it ever has in all of modern history to all-out nuclear war.  During what became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. What made matters worse at this crucial time of international conflict was a near failure in…
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Prepared But Not Ready

On June 28th, 1914 an assassination took place in which the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, was killed by a political extremist while riding in a parade. This single event is credited as the lynchpin that set off the first World War, one that would last over four years and forever change the course of history. Armies from around the world prepared themselves to enter into this conflict, whether or not they truly were ready is the question. WWI is…
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Signing Up & Staying On

In January of 2017, I decided I wanted to sign up for something I had always wanted to try, a half marathon. So, I signed up for the Tuscaloosa Half and started my 3-month training right away. Everything was going great until about a month into it when I injured my left foot and had to wear a boot for 6-weeks. I had to completely cut out running up until 2 weeks before the race. To say I was a…