Just Walk
February 17th, 2012
Issue: 157
Walk with a Doc Newsletter
 
Greetings!
 
Good morning! We're already into the last half of February with a Three Day staring us in the face?!
A stone's throw from March and 'In Like a Lion' stuff?
Sorry Mr. Winter, you had your chance (
and I still do Mr. Smart Aleck Newsletter Man, I still do...)

Every few months, the newsletter committee likes to play a game called, What is Walk with a Doc? If you prefer Boggle or Apples to Apples, I get that.
Today we only have time for the first game. That said, I'm off Monday, if anybody wants to play Apples to Apples then.
 
What is (and Why) Walk with a Doc?

This is what our staff sees. We see game-changers. We see community members, hospital administrators, innovators, docs, nurses, and medical students refusing the status quo and rebelling. 

 

They tell us that we're not meant to be sedentary. We are meant to be smiling, and healthy, and active.

They tell us they want a program that (1) works (2) is free, (3) has stood the test of time (and metrics), 
and (4) is so easy to implement it makes you giggle (nervously, like Dr. Evil holding Mr. Bigglesworth).

They don't need/want to be a hero, but it will happen to them. Just like the others. They will be improving countless lives in their region. They will be making people happy. 


People will be at their wwad, or see it on tv, or in the paper and ask the exact same question,

"Whose idea was it to bring wwad to <insert location here>? Was it Nancy's?"

"Nope, it was Bob's. Said he liked seeing people happy. Said he had a friend with <insert disease here> and he wanted to do something. Said he wanted to do everything he could to prevent it happening to his family, friends, and neighbors.  That's why he said he called."

"Hmmm. I would've guessed it was Nancy who had called."
 
I figure at this point your possible thoughts are:

(1) There has to be a catch 
(2) Nothing is free 
(3) Why? Just plain old why are they doing this 
(4) This guy's a nut job, he's (L)insanely verbose and why do I continue to waste time on this newsletter (unsubscribe button is below and it is, indeed, very safe)

 

What follows is the Truth - and I kind of enjoy hearing the Truth. No matter what the situation.

The Truth
 
The 2012 Official Walk with a Doc Employee Manual has one page. That one page has only two words, Be Honest.

All right, I made that part up.


Let me answer why there is no catch.  
(Btw, we so wish we could look you straight in the eye when we say this) 
 
Our entire staff either thrives on seeing people happy, lost a close relative to disease, or takes care of people that are not as happy as they could be, or all the above.  
All the above. 
 
We knew that something had to change and it was killing us inside to watch it continue without a plan. Absolutely killing us inside (he's repeating himself a lot this morning). 

So, out of frustration, came a plan. We piloted it, and it worked. We piloted it in this city and in that city - and it worked. It worked, it worked, it worked.
 
We were so lucky, so fortunate. This plan was a gift. 
The communities loved it, the doctors loved it - and it filled a large void. And it continues to get stronger with every day that passes. 

Only with the help of our current sponsors, who believed in us when we were only at one park, can we do it for free.
 

When it comes down to it, we're actually very greedy. We want new sites so bad it hurts. They are coming in daily and they are like a drug. New sites = new happy. 
 
That's why we give away tons of shirts, pedometers, our "IP", you name it. Because we can and we know the more we give away, the more likely you are to become part of the team. Then together, with a tiny leap of faith, we can change the game - the right way. 
 
If you have ever wanted to make a difference (not all of us do), please trust us - this is it. 
 
("Honey, you gotta c'mere! I think Florence Nightingale decided to go off her meds for a few days - read this!")

Please stay hungry and stay foolish.
David
www.walkwithadoc.org
For all this weekend's walks, times, and locations please click here.


 
  
 

 
In This Issue
What and Why?
The Truth

Just Walk
614-714-0407