Myles Horton & the Olympic Flame
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness, Communication
Myles Horton was a famous adult educator in the Appalachian mountains. He rode the rails with the hobos and learned valuable lessons from them, lessons that I’m applying during my volunteer work at the 2010 Olympics.
Fire was valuable to the vulnerable men who hitched a ride by train. Fire kept you warm. It protected you. It was a means to a meal.
During those long train rides Myles learned that if you used up your fuel source too soon the fire would go out, leaving you cold and vulnerable throughout the night.
He also recalled times when men kept the fire burning too low and there wouldn’t be enough heat. You’d still go cold and hungry.
In his autobiography ‘The Long Haul’ he talks about how our life’s drive and goals are the same.
Fire yourself up too much, burn the midnight oil too often, don’t take care of your whole self, don’t have a life beyond work and you’re in trouble. All consuming and consumed, you’re headed off the rails and towards burnout and major stress.
Don’t fire yourself up enough and you’ve got no heat, no oomph, no zing, passion, or drive. You’re coasting through life, unengaged and uninspired.
The trick? Keeping your fire burning at a level that works for you.
Speaking of which, I’m volunteering for the 2010 Olympic Games. We volunteer 6 days on, have 1 off and work 9 hour days. Fire’s on my mind, I’m tending the flame.
And you? How’s your fire?
Tags: 2010, change management, creativity & innovation, hobos, learning, long haul, myles horton, olympic flame, olympics, training & development, vancouver
February 8th, 2010 at 9:57 am
I would like to share the experience of being in Whistler for the Olympics with the world. The Virtual Whistler Olympic Blog was created to provide visitors, the ability to explore whistler virtually and see where everything is happening. Virtually Ski the Men’s Downhill Course or any of the other slopes. Even walk through the village remotely. Take the time to post your experiences and we will try to place your comments into the virtual environment for others to experience. Guest Posting and Linking to other relevant blogs welcome.
April 5th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
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April 6th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
What’s your site about? I couldn’t read the Arabic. Shakran in advance for your reply (hope I spelled that right).
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