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The month of April has always been a great month for me. My
birthday is April 30th. As you remember back into your
childhood you will remember that your birthday month was always
special. As the years pass, my birthday is less important. However,
twenty seven years ago, April 25th became very special as
I pledged my love to Sharon and married her. As the years pass,
April 25th has become more important. The LAST
five days of April are very good times in my personal life.
In 2008, the FIRST five days of April
have been incredible. On April 1st, with 75 other Kiwanis
friends, I attended an interclub in the Cayman Islands. This will be
a long lasting memory and highlight for me as Governor. The Cayman
Islanders were hospitable and friendly. They went way out of their
way to accommodate us as we visited them during our recent interclub
cruise. They told us about some of their projects and frankly, made
some of us feel guilty about how little we do as Kiwanis members
here on the stateside of the District. These dedicated members are
incredible.
On April 5th, for Kiwanis One Day, I
participated in a “Day at the Ballpark.” I played baseball with
some of the most energetic kids I have ever met. At the Miracle
League field, sponsored by the Gulf Beaches Kiwanis Club, I met kids
like Ricky and Matthew. Ricky is a boy who has no forearms. His
partially deformed hands are connected directly to his upper arms.
He could hit the ball a long way. And he hit and hit and hit, all
thanks to the Gulf Beaches Kiwanis. Matthew has Cerebral Palsy. He
walked very poorly strapped to a walker. As he stood on second base,
his dad and I were talking nearby about service and Kiwanis and the
field. As another kid hit the ball, Matthew became impatient with
this grown up talk simply said, “I gotta go,” and began to hobble on
toward third base.
Five days in April lead me to this
reflection….. There are times which we spend on ourselves and there
are times we help others. Times when we help will always be more
fulfilling than those times we spend with ourselves. That
defines Kiwanis in a nutshell.
Take five days and try it.
Mark
Taylor, 2007-08
Governor
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