I can barely move my fingers 

as the skin protests around my fingers with every single movement. Frostbitten, but not from the frost or mid winter barrage of wind, but from the plunging down repeatedly into bone-chilling water bring up to the surface item after item that brings redemption.

No kidding, 2018 – and Apple Scrapple re visits an ultimate question – what are you willing to sacrifice for the moment you are set free?  In running, it is the runner’s high – you reach the wall and then just as you are about to feel as you’ll die – your body release the realization you are DOING it and all is possible.  Bliss. (Thank you for that analogy Coach Havrilla) – it is so true, unless you reach the moment where you are sure you are going to die, you will not find the moment where you realize this amazing threshold you have passed to truly live.   In life, it is simply – what are you willing to sacrifice to reach that moment of being able to look back, and realize the pain and hurdles made life even more sweeter – as is a favorite phrase of one on my favorite movies,  “

“Because without the bitter, baby, the sweet ain’t as sweet.”- 

Let’s put this into perspective – the first day hours earning a small amount – approximately 97.2 dollars an hour – the second day of 13 hours, earning $274.00 an hour – yes, this is what success looks like – but wait – only on the surface.  Many see mountains of possibility with these amounts pictured – and the best, possible redemption and feeling I see is the crazy amount of speed and alertness on behalf fo the class of 2020 and helpers, the absolute exhaustion in your muscles, skin, feet that are numb that enabled us to achieve such a lofty goal, and think that was selling 1780 drinks (bottled sodas and water) over a TWO day period. Think about that for a sec, and then pinch yourself to see who helped achieve this goal – and you will see parents and willing to sacrifice much students to get to that point it two days, pretty much a Cannonball Run craziness period occurring in one weekend. 

I see the same exact “willing” (or unwillingness)  to sacrifice that impacts and shapes the memories we continue to find in Cross Country.  We are SO incredibly lucky to have a tight-knit-beginning-to-what-will -be-definitely larger- next year in the form of the athletes.  The willingness to sacrifice breath, sore muscles, as well as exhaustion – stress – and more – and yet, you have to be willing to pull /sacrifice one, two, three or more  important aspects of your life to receive what it feels like at first was impossible. 

Why?  Why is it important to sacrifice anything?  Shouldn’t I be able to get anything I want without having to sacrifice anything?  GREAT question.  I feel that way too – I have to admit.  However, a few examples will show that point – and I think you’ll see it as clearly as I have.

Most people see that pile of money and see success measured in the amounts and piles. 

What you can’t see is the following:

The conversations are the conversations with the young children, the alumni, the connections that make Greenwood, Bridgeville, and WoodbrIdge who they are and how they became what they are today

The laughter we had in simply going through the challenge of a set amount and exceeding it, not, blowing that set amount up and knowing together, we had everything to do with it (Comments like “She spit on my lip!” – one for the quote books for sure).

Gathering the abilities of WHS’s ROTC organization, SGA Treasurer collecting, SGA President Leadership, “the Governor” (yes we have a Governor in SGA) representation, and seeing our SGA utilize the various roles and putting them to use in a public setting.

Setting down How-to’s in being successful that NO ONE, can learn unless you actually are involved.  Go ahead try to learn how to have a natural conversation and learn how Ms _____ is doing after her experiences as a teacher, mother, and now director of ______.    Find out how to look someone in the eye and show them you are here for the community, yes your organization but also to add to the grit of hard work that makes Apple Scrapple unique, personalized and a sense of community.    Try to learn how to personalize every single purchase with paying attention to their children’s face painting, their children’s choice of Dr. Pepper and poll them about why they chose a DR. Pepper, hear the hysterical comments about “This is for my wife, her choice dominates!” and “Giving the money to the ladies – they trained you right!” and more laughter but actually being interested in the very patrons who make up this community –  there IS a difference between simply making money and trying to get to know the individuals that help support organizations – student and community-led, to allow them to represent a portion of your very own community.  

These real aspect that no one can “teach” you by simply passing them on into the classroom.  They are respected, learned, and known by looking past the material aspects of money, events, plans and realizing how connected we are to each other through money, events, and plan, and personalizing them with each other. 

This is all lost if you are not willing to sacrifice a little of self for each other.

We laughed, we admired, we learned, and the money was truly a secondary aspect after a few hours.  When SGA officers began saying, after working 4 straight hours of not stopping sales, “This is FUN!” and hearing the interactions they were learning about individuals in their community?  It brought back the memories I relished, RELISHED, in

selling back to back hours of selling Choripan at ASF’s Art Fair in Mexico City,  among some of the best, most patient and people skilled students in the world, and they we did so in Mexico City as part of the Repentino, not becoming the Riff, Woodbridge High’s emerging, community-based literary art magazine.  

Do you see how this is all connected?  Without an event like Apple Scrapple, and thanks to the back-breaking, hour splitting, chaos ridden duties by the likes of Ms. Bonnie Workman, Karen Johnson, Miranda Collins, Tammy Williamson, and a HUGE load of others, this event, and other events that are proposed, from the outside in look like JUST events.  Even events that are well, that is for the locals.  

Stop right there.  That is the biggest misconception and stereotype you can have.  To remedy this, just try this once.  Jump right into the middle of an event that you know nothing about, just once, especially with Fall on us, and listen.  Listen to the conversations, watch the children around you, see how happy the dogs are among the people, watch the vendors’ conversations.  You will see what makes American truly great – each other.  No divisions except bragging rights on jokes, family, and what is to come with involving each other.  This is what our students learned this past weekend though using money as an anchor, and getting them to the point of learning the best lesson of all.  When you work hard and sacrifice either time you could be somewhere else, a priority for a friend and put it on hold just for one day, and afternoon weathering the weather to see a brighter day emerge and celebrate the success as a result, these lessons are a handful you might be lucky enough to receive if you are willing to sacrifice something of your own.

We each have a festival we can connect to for these reasons, and if you are lucky, you have new events coming that can connect to this event and all year-long bring pride, community, and excitement among so many people benefitting each other all year long.  Battle of the Bands in January 2019,

in a few weeks Poetry out Loud,

the new literary magazine titled The Riff that desperately needs more staff to keep up with the demand of literary submissions pouring in the last few weeks,

The Halloween Walk/Run happening in a few weeks,

The Heron Run celebrating Thanksgiving and individuals that make nature trails, exercise, nature possible in our areas, and MUCH MUCH more.  These are all meant to bring new definitions and experiences to why our community melds together and is not just a rural, farming, neighborhood community.  Those aspects are assets that lead to the very thing we think at first is important, prestige, money, success – but underlying those goals are the true feelings that keep us wanting to come back.  Those are priceless, and worth hundreds of dollars that can be collected.

Sacrifice paves the road to memories and events that have the potential to never happen, Thank goodness the comments overhead by so many of the planners of Apple Scrapple, “This is why I do it!” ring true.  All you have to do is see the success that can’t be measured by any monetary means, and you see this is true.  There is so much connected to the amazing spirit shown this year in an exciting team-filled experience found in the Woodbridge Cross Country Team, the WHS Field Hockey Team, the recent Homecoming Parade and event, the emergence of the ROTC team dividing and conquering the obstacles to bring awareness to an outstanding nature trail and combining fitness, the all out absolute campaign of discovering inner strengths that other locations simply do not offer – and it is exciting. So Exciting so see so many individuals learning, the patience, the commitment, reveal some of the most exciting opportunities.  You will see over the next few days some amazing interviews, speakers, and events that have occurred involving individuals from grades 9 -12, and these very individuals realizing these true and exciting revelations – there is nothing more exciting. 

There are more dire consequences that result from individuals that move onto another school for prestige, for individuals that choose to not show up for events and not participate.  They lose the very sense of community of building, and creating, and becoming something that they help build, and that – is worth any sacrifice if you are willing to sacrifice your own time, to create even better times ahead.  Thanks to you Apple Scrapple for providing an opportunity to internalize something worth any monetary amount again for 2018!