Saturday, August 31, 2013

JIM KARANAS

A friend of mine hold me recently about a friend who had bypass surgery and literally when the surgeons got in, they found a "hole in his heart." Jim Karanas recently died and left a hole in the heart of an entire community.My wife, Jackie,  was one. Her sadness over the last few days has been palpable as has scores of others--a HOLE IN THE HEART. 

I didn't know Jim Karanas, only through my wife. He taught and introduced "spinning" as an exercise program to San Francisco. I am going to give him the title, "Father of Spinning." Jim was this bigger than life person to Jackie. He ignited in her a desire to be physically fit and to develop a lifestyle that would produce it.  What price can you put on such motivation? The thing that always impressed me about Jim is that my wife could call him anytime--here is a guy with all kinds of things going, seemingly dozens but he always took time to respond back. No small thing to me. 

What to do about "a hole in the heart?" A surgeon can repair. Not so easy to those who loved Jim. Keeping his memory alive is one way to venture repair. The poet, Angelo Patri, gives a hint, "In one sense there is no death.  The life of a soul on earth lasts beyond their departure.  You will always feel that life touching yours, that voice speaking to you, that spirit looking out of other eyes, talking to you in the familiar things they touched, worked with, loved as familiar friends.  They live on in your life and in the lives of others that knew them."

GOD BLESS JIM ON HIS JOURNEY 


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