Today's letter

This post was inspired by Today's Letters. I think this idea is brilliant (one of many I wish were my own). Well... here is my letter of the day (I'm trying not to think about the Olympic trials that are still more than a year away, but our CoSport ticket purchase last week has got me thinking, and dreaming, daily about what next summer will bring).

Dear touch pads in Omaha at the Olympic Trials,

I'm not sure if you remember my husband or not. His name is Mark and he is my favorite everyday Olympian. In 2008 he came to visit you and touched the wall second in his event. Though thrilled at the opportunity to represent his country at the Olympic Games, I know that he wished he would have gotten to you first.

I am a PhD student and instructor at a university. After I teach the "Motivation" chapter to my class I ask Mark to come speak to my students. He talks about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how his motivation has changed over the years. I have never heard him say this before, but last week in class he said, "I've finished second twice at the Olympic trials-which is great, don't get me wrong-but I want to finish first. I want everyone to know that I am the right man for the meet." This got me thinking about writing a letter to you, Omaha Qwest Center touch pads. As silly as it may be, and I can almost hear Mark rolling his eyes at me right now, I wanted to write a letter to you to reintroduce you to my husband. His goal is to get to you first next summer; please welcome him with open arms. He so wishes it be and I wish it for him.

I know it will still be almost 14 months until we meet again, but I just thought that I should write. If you' d like to meet me, I'll be the crazy lady in the stands (hopefully up close) with a two and a half year old on her hip and a tear in her eye--I may also be doing a happy dance.

Sincerely,
Ashley Gangloff
PhD student, mom, wife, and crazy-nervous swim wife