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Blog #757: I Am My Sneakers

by Ana | August 13, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I felt it.I really, really felt it. All of it. The serious heat.My empty legs.My slowing pace. ______ I had been walking over an hour. I started the walk when it seemed a manageable 79 degrees. Looking at my phone at that moment... It had climbed fast to a scorching...

Blog #756: Is Your Try Running Out?

by Ana | August 6, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

He is tired of trying. ______ “Hey Shawn, Thanks for always showing up. When I’m at my lowest, you write what I need to read. I need something big now. I keep trying, but it feels like I’m getting nowhere. I’m wondering if it’s time to throw in the towel.” ______ I...

Blog #755: Don’t Walk Past Yourself

by Ana | July 30, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Most people walk past them.I couldn't. For 35+ years... I’ve eaten rice, beans, and saladsbecause I love animals. But there's a little life my heart can't ignore. ______ Snails. I’ve written before about saving worms struggling across hot sidewalks. I’ve also carried...

Blog #754: The Teachers I Almost Missed

by Ana | July 23, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I see it clearly now. Two of my greatest teachershave never spoken a word. Two little dogs teaching big lessons. ______ For 15½ years… My Chihuahuas have taught me more about life than I’ve taught them. They taught me to celebrate. When I walk through the door, they...

Blog #753: The Uncomfortable Mirror

by Ana | July 16, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was getting ready to go for a hike. My shoes were waiting by the door.My backpack was loaded down and ready. Then a thought quietly walked into the room. ______ "I don't feel like it." Nothing unusual. Except this time... I heard it differently. A second thought...

Blog #752: I Couldn’t Look Away

by Ana | July 9, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I was flipping through TV channels...until one of them stopped me cold. I didn't know the singer.I didn't know the song. But I couldn't look away. ______ It wasn't his voice that caught me. It was how completely he gave himself to the moment. He wasn't just singing.He...

Blog #751: I Pressed Send Anyway

by Ana | July 2, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

#750 is behind me.#751 is right now. Still going.Still showing up.Still giving it my best. Every.Single.Thursday. ______ #751. That’s a lot of Thursdays. More than I ever imagined when this began. And although I'm acknowledging #751... I'm celebrating #1 more. That’s...

Blog #750: What Are You Leaving in Them?

by Ana | June 25, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

At first... This blog was about a frog named Camino.Then it became a question. Ready to see where this leads? ______ First story... There’s a little frog that’s lived outside my front door in Sacramento for as long as I can remember. I call him “Camino.”Named after...

Blog #749: The Email Said She’s a Ghost

by Ana | June 18, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

I read her email.I stopped breathing for a moment. "People don't say things like that." ______ The email read: "I’m a ghost. People don't see me. I don't even see myself anymore. I read your blog and maybe I'm not changing, but at least I see I don't want to be a...

Blog #748: It’s Time to Go

by Ana | June 11, 2026 | Blog Post | 0 Comments

Moving forward. Not because it's easy.Because staying changes who you become. ______ The past has a powerful pull. A favorite memory.A former relationship.A great success.A missed opportunity.A different version of ourselves. It's easy to revisit what was. Especially...

Blog #608: Her. Me. Her. Me.

Blog Post

TIME. I share four thoughts on it.I hope one gets you to look at a calendar. And plan. ______ #1: It Moves Fast. It's now October 2023. Life is an unstoppable, 250 miles-per-hour bullet train. The older my age, the larger my goals...the faster the train goes. This...

Blog #607: I’m Not Charlie’s Tree

Blog Post

In response to last week's blog... A reader shined a light on a famous tree.It belonged to Charlie Brown. The reader wrote that he felt like Charlie's tree. Curious? ______ The email: Shawn - Your words "I Don't HAVE To" hit me hard. I needed to read this one. Do you...

Blog #606: The Words Felt Like Blisters

Blog Post

We don't HAVE to.Anymore. (Read on...and the words will make sense.) ______ This is blog #606. Over MANY years... Extra Mile Thursday has grown from an original 100+ readers to thousands today. MANY readers have come and gone ...and MANY readers continue to sign up...

Blog #605: The Day the Sky Didn’t Fall

Blog Post

"You gotta' be kidding me!"(That's me politely quoting myself.) The shock had just hit me:"I lost my freakin' map!" ______ In navigating my way across nine countries by foot... I carry a walking map. I use a non-working phone ONLY as a camera, and I have no GPS device...

Blog #604: She’s a Yes. He’s a No.

Blog Post

This week... A harsh wisdom tooth extraction...has my feet grounded. With my feet moving slowly...so are my day-to-day adventures. So for today's blog...I'm dipping into my email bag. ______ As for my wisdom tooth? It ended up being a case where my jaw was madly in...

Blog #603: How I Made A. Friend

Blog Post

I've been asked 200+ times:"What are your dogs' names?" I answer:"She's EMi. He's Amicus." The answer back to me 50+ times:"Those are strange (weird, odd, unusual) names." ______ Here's a recent email: Hey Shawn, Just finished reading Amicus 101 and got to tell you I...