Lessons from my CreateAthon closet
So I pulled out a pair of 13-year-old jeans and wore them to work on Thursday. Nothing special about them, other than the fact that they’re the ones I wore to the very first CreateAthon in 1998.
I explained to the team assembled for Riggs CreateAthon this year that I had worn them for the first five years or so of CreateAthon. Then I replaced them with newer cuts and darker washes that seemed to make for a more pulled together 24-hour ensemble.
This year, I felt an overwhelming need to pull those jeans out of the drawer, and I didn’t really know why. Now that CreateAthon 2010 is over, the significance of those Express bellbottoms as a metaphor for CreateAthon is abundantly clear.
- They’re worn, but you can’t wear them out. I’ve had the privilege of traveling the CreateAthon road with many of the same people year after year. Their spirit is indefatigable, and it lifts me higher every year.
- They are a humble lot. CreateAthon starts with understanding that the world is not about you; rather, an understanding that you have a part to play in it.
- They are persistently unassuming. I’m reminded of the grace of so many people I’ve seen hunkered down at their computers at 4:00 in the morning, quietly going about the business of making miracles.
- They go with everything. No matter what your particular skill set or area of expertise, everyone—and every task—has equal value during CreateAthon.
- They are timeless. CreateAthon is all about seeing what can happen when you push yourself to give beyond your comfort zone, then see those gifts come back to you in the way of rich, new relationships and experiences. It happens time and again, no matter how many years you’ve done CreateAthon.
My thanks to all who have put their hearts and minds in the same place for 24 hours to let the power of creativity empower good. And to my old jeans for reminding me that humble endeavors are those that have the most long-lasting value.
