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Ron & Jen’s Great Escape, October 18, 2023 – Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien
by Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien, commentary
Running YOUR Race
As the world seems to be spinning out of control, one thing I have started to do for stress relief is run. In the Army HOW I HATED to run after a 12-hour night shift. I mean, HATE does not even do my feelings justice… but as you all know, and as I repeatedly told my peers “the ARMY is NOT a democracy”. (Well, at least when I served) So, I did what they told me to do and that was RUN. Fast forward 28 years later and I can still hear my drill sergeant saying to me as I struggled to keep pace “mind over matter BRIEN, mind over MATTER”. Thank GOD he’s not following me now as I run for peace of mind and train for a half marathon that I’m hardly ready for.
I often think about that man, DRILL SERGEANT KITT and how he helped me become a soldier. How he pushed me past my own limitations into a Military Policewoman. I remember calling my father after graduation crying because he couldn’t see me on that stage when it was a proud moment in my life. He was ill and couldn’t make the trip. Oh, how I longed as a young woman, and really, as a grown woman, to make my father proud. It really meant something to me.
Now that my earthly father has passed and as someone who has come to know Christ, I long to make my heavenly father proud. Every day when I run, I spend time with God, and I am so grateful that I am healthy enough to be out there suffering. I have my arms, legs, ears, and eyes and try to take it all in. Enjoy the things I see and smell… it’s not fun to train… it’s boring, but the other day I thought running is very much like life. Same ole same ole day in day out. Get up, fed the dogs, walk the dogs, do my dishes, care for mom, get the run in… nothing really exciting. That’s the part of life where we are taught patience. Those boring times when God has us tucked away, he’s actually working on us before he can trust us with whatever he has waiting for us. Running takes discipline and patience. Walking with God takes discipline and patience.
My brother gave a beautiful eulogy for my father which was summed up with a Bible verse regarding running “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus”. Hebrews 12:1. We all have to endure life and sometimes it’s so damn heavy. I mean, honestly… SUPER HEAVY and confusing. A lot of people I know right now are trying real hard to hang in there and run. You don’t have a drill sergeant screaming at you to keep you going, but you do have a friend like me out here who gets it figuratively and literally. Keep running. Keep trying and know that you are not alone.
Dad, I don’t know if you’ll read this wherever you are but, I intend to make you proud this second half of my life. I’ll never stop running. I’ll never stop trying and even if I come in last place in this half marathon I will run. I will finish. I will look up toward heaven and hope both my fathers are proud.
Run with endurance my friends… keep running no matter what.
Till next week,
Jennifer
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Painful Perspective
Enough has already been said about the pitiful 1-5 New England Patriots. Even what looked like a possible victory match up at the season’s start now looks like another one for the loss column and with the Bills and the Dolphins the next two opponents, a 1-7 record after week 8 seems a likely possibility. Even if this team plays to 100% of its ability it looks like a top 5 pick in the NFL draft and imagine if they decide to unload (which they should) high priced veterans at the October 31st trade deadline! But to put a little perspective on this (and maybe just to find joy in other franchises woeful history) The following teams have NEVER won a Super Bowl… let alone SIX!
Arizona, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, L-A Chargers, Minnesota, Tennessee
Even worse, these four teams have never even appeared in a Super Bowl since its inception in 1966. Cleveland, Detroit, Jacksonville, and Houston.
Some days misery loves company.
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THE VIEW FROM MY SNOUT
Hazel here… I’m just wondering when Ron’s going to get the hint about getting a CHEWY subscription. I make sure to sit right in front of the TV whenever one of those great CHEWY “Pets aren’t just pets, they’re more” commercials come on. My favorite is the one with Bailey, as she’s a Lab just like me. Seriously, I pay zero attention to any other commercials but bolt to the tube when the CHEWY spots come on… I mean, MCFLY! The thing about it is Ron’s usually extremely attentive when someone drops a possible Christmas gift idea months and months in advance. He grabs the mention and puts it “in the vault” for December 25th. Maybe THAT’S what he’s doing with me! I sure hope so.
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Read all of Ron & Jen’s columns, here: https://rinewstoday.com/ron-st-pierre-jen-brien/
Ron St. Pierre is a veteran broadcaster whose career has spanned over four decades. Ron has programmed, performed on and managed WHJJ, WPRO, WWRX, 790 The Score in Providence, as well as WBZT and WKGR in West Palm Beach and WABC in New York City. Ron also anchored sports on WPRI Ch 12 in Providence. He is a member of both the Rhode Island Radio and Television and the City of Pawtucket Halls of Fame. He was born and raised in Pawtucket.
Jen Brien has over 20 years of radio broadcast experience having hosted shows on WPRO and WHJJ with Ron as well as her own shows on WRKO and WBZ in Boston, WXTK on Cape Cod and WHAM in Rochester, New York. Jen was born and raised in Woonsocket and served six years in the Army MP Canine Unit.
Hazel, Ron’s dog, makes regular appearances.
“Ron and Jen’s Great Escape” podcast, a more lighthearted look at the events happening around us, can be found on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes premiering each Wednesday and listen to Ron and Jen’s Great Escape on NewsRadio 920 and 104-7 FM, Saturday morning, 7am!