Good morning! Hope you are enjoying the festivities in London and excited for another full week. I'm looking at these bodies and guessing there must be quite a few Olympians walking with their docs. We had something happen on WWAD's Campus (see above) this week that I feel is important to share.
This Tuesday, I was awoken in the middle of the night by our Chief Graphic Designer, CIndy White (upper right photo) calling on the 'Blue Phone'. My heart going 150 bpm and unaware of my surroundings, I throw the cucumbers off my eyes and clumsily grab for the receiver, knocking it to the floor. This is followed by 25 seconds of rustling, wrangling, and bumping my head into the nightstand.
"David, it's Cindy! We've got a serious problem in Building D. Walter needs help; he's a mess right now!"
Walter is an unproven, yet very promising, young graphic artist of ours.
"Cindy - dear G-d! What time is it?!", stalling as I try and force myself into work mode.
"David, it's 10:25 a.m."
"Dear G-d! Are you people at work already?!"
"We get here at 7:30 every morning"
My voice drops 2 octaves, as it's time to slip into my CEO role.
"Cindy, Cindy, Cindy - silly Cindy. I've already finished 2 very important meetings and I'm currently giving a lecture to the medical students on antidisestablishmentarianism.
"But David, I called you at home?"
Pregnant pause and...click.
Tossing my stuffed bear, Roosevelt, off the bed I quickly navigate out of my townhouse, across town, and into Building D (West Campus).
Cindy, eagerly greets me at the front door, whisking me 4 flights up the stairs to #101, Walter's office. She hurriedly closes the door behind me, almost taking out Walter's pet mouse, Mortimer in the process.
Walter is indeed shaken. Staring out his window, he's drawing a young deer that has emerged from the Walk with a Doc Forest.
"Talk to me Walter - put the colored pencils down for a second."
Abundant tears are cascading onto his sketchbook, the various soft brown hues are streaking here and there.
"David, I'm so scared." His voice weak and tremulous to a point of concern.
"My grandparents have Alzheimer's; my mother's got coronary artery disease, my father has high blood pressure, and now, today, my sister gets diagnosed with diabetes. Everybody's sick and I'm sure I'm next. I can't take it anymore David. I'm at the end of my rope. I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT!"
He grabs a bright red apple from the large teak bowl, heaving it across the room into a body length sized mirror. I duck for cover, as a cacophony of glass comes crashing down.
Time to lead.
Standing up, I take 2 steps forward and grab Walter by the collar, yanking him to his feet. His eyes averting me, I smack him across the face to snap him out of it.
I've got his full attention now.
With my left hand grabbing his collar, my right index finger is free to point directly in his face.
"Walter, you listen to me and you listen good!"
"You are in charge of your own health, you hear me! You are a talented young man and you need to take care of yourself. You can beat heart disease! You can beat diabetes! Hell, you can even cut into your cancer risk. All you need to do is exercise 20-30 minutes a day/5-6 days a week. Just Walk (TM) - that's all you need"
Like you the reader, he grows bored - his eyes drifting away hopelessly.
Both hands now to the lapel, I shake him. Like this - I just SHAKE HIM!
"Listen to me Walter! You can do this! Walking is so easy and so important - especially for your mood right now. We need you Walter. The country needs you! Now put your pencils down, get out there and walk!"
A cricket must've landed on my shoulder while I was going off. Walter slowly smiles wide at me and then at the cricket. With renewed vigor, he excitedly shakes my hand with both of his, grabs the cricket and heads out the door. He has a bounce in his step I had never seen before.
The full name of that young man in Building D?
Walter Elias Disney.
And they say walking isn't good for you...
"Who says that?
No, I seriously want to know who says that!
First, I spend 2 minutes reading THE MOST ASININE THING I have ever come across. Then, he has the nerve to close with that? His company is literally called Walk with a Doc. Everyone since Socrates and Jerry Lee Lewis has said walking is good for you. People are busting their butts for four years to try and win a medal for our country, and I've got to put up with this crap?
!'m sorry, but I would like an apology from the editors."
