After my visit at Walnut Hills, I was energized to meet the students at Brookview Elementary. I was certainly not disappointed. The children were excited to see me. And what started the day off right was Mrs. Zwank's superb hosting skills. One student informed me that his dream was one day to become a food taster and his eyes sparkled just thinking about that glorious day. Another student said she wanted to be a chef and it seemed we had a perfect match!

The students loved the game of shadow baseball and the lucky winners of a raffle enjoyed sitting down to lunch with me.

I now have logged many miles and have been living in hotels for nearly one month. My spirits are still high but there is that nagging questions: "Am I making a difference in these students lives?"

Mrs. Quam had her students write thank-you letters to me, which I am compelled to share:

Abi wrote: Erin's dream is touching - how you helped her through it. Then she made the team (Team USA). Traveled the world amd got a scholarship! It made me understand why to keep at it!

Brandon wrote: To me you seem like a very nice guy and I think your two kids would be proud to have a dad like you. I was wondering if I could have your autograph? If you decide to give me your autograph please mail it to XXX.

Meaghan wrote: How did you feel when your daughter came up to you and asked you to train her again? From you I learned that you always should follow your dreams.

Jacob wrote: Do you think if they had a dad and daughter baseball game and you went against Jake and his dad do you think you would win? I hope you publish more books.

Teachers and students of Brookview Elementary thank you for inspiring me with a second wind.