In 2019, Some May Have Done a "180-Degree Turn." I Just Did a "180."

This is my final blog post for 2019. In fact, it's my final blog post of this decade! I'm heading into a new year with an incredibly blessed life. I am deeply in love with my beautiful wife and experience consistent joy in being the father of four wonderful adult children and a step-dad to four other amazing people. I have strong health, a stable job, a lovely home, a new truck, a good church, and so much more. I have no complaints as I see out 2019 and usher in 2020.

Some people go into a new year wanting to do a 180-degree turn in certain areas of their life. I can say that I didn't go into 2019 that way. However, I did end up actually doing a 180. This is my 180th blog post for 2019! Essentially, I wrote an average of one blog post ever other day during the year. That's a lot of writing! I jotted down countless thoughts and provided my perspective on some issues; shared some stories from the past; included topics with the hope of making people think; and, introduced readers to some interesting people undertaking some remarkable challenges. Based on this blog's readership statistics, there were 13,094 visitors to this blog in 2019 -- or an average of 1,091 per month -- from nearly 30 countries around the world. Here are just a few of the more popular writings I've done in 2019 based on blog statistics (click on the titles to read each):

• "In God We Trust" -- But How Many Of Us Really Do?
• Sexual Abuse in Church Settings is NOT a One-denomination Issue
• I Am The Founder and President of The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation
• Why I Don't "Retweet," "Repost" or "Share a Post" on Social Media
• The Cost of Joining the Ranks of Coast-to-Coast Runners and Walkers
• No, I'm Not an Attorney -- And That's What I Prefer!
• The Shadowbox -- "Each Grain Like a Step That is Taken in Time"
• Have You Gotten Your Kicks on Route 66? If Not, You Should!
• While in Germany, I Was in the Crosshairs of Automatic Weapons
• Was I a "World Class" Runner and Didn't Know It?
• Ultra-endurance Sports: More People Are Going The Distance
• Can a Strong Woman be a Feminine Woman?
• My Stepdaughter Made Me Cry While I Was Surrounded By Moms
• Summer 2006 -- A Journey, A Sacrifice, A Victory, A Painful Memory
• Words That Every Father Wishes To Receive From His Child
• I Was Kissed By An Asian Man I Didn't Know... On a Montana Mountain!
• I've Talked to Myself in a Desert... on a Mountain... in a Blizzard... Etc.
• Beards -- Maturity, Dominance, Social Status, Cancer, Bacteria, Poop!
• DNA Testing Companies and Security: Who Has Your DNA Information?
• As The Old 1970's Sitcom Conveyed -- "Eight is Enough"
• "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today."
• Solo Running Across States and Countries Doesn't Make You Famous
• 30 Million Americans Are Not Up To Date With Colon Cancer Screening
• I'm The First of "Generation X" -- Those Born Between 1965 and 1980
• Odds of One Person Fulfilling 300+ Prophecies: Only Jesus!
• My Dad is as Old as Chocolate Chip Cookies!
• "Tempest" -- My High School Garage Band From 1982-1983
• "Stop And Smell The Roses" -- Count Your Many Blessings Everyday!
• Parent/Child Estrangement -- Among the Most Painful Experiences
• #instamodel -- Instagram Models Chasing Followers, Likes and Money
• What Should You Do if You're The First at a Car Accident Scene?
• Becoming Catholic -- My Journey Into The Catholic Church
• I Wore a Pink Dress for 8 Hours -- But Kept My Head Out of The Toilet!
• None of My Solo Runs Across States and Countries Were "Stunts"
• The Secret to Having Happy, Healthy Kids is Not Really a Secret!
• More and More People are Striding Along Roadsides to Cross America

And my most popular blog post for 2019 is "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get!", which was viewed by 1,420 readers.

Aside from those listed above, there are 143 other writings from 2019 in this blog. You can use this blog's menu to access all of the writings via their titles -- or you can do a keyword search using this blog's search feature (if you're using a phone, scroll to the bottom of the blog and click on the "view web version" link to access the menu and search features). Now, it's time to turn the calendar and head into 2020. Perhaps it will be a year of even greater clarity -- acquiring an even clearer perspective on family, faith and fitness... the topics I aim to focus on in this blog. Yes, perhaps 2020 will be a 20/20 year, and we know that ophthalmologists say that a visual acuity of 20/20 is considered perfect vision. Let's all aim to make 2020 a 20/20 year!

Happy New Year!

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past