A Rather Large German Woman Blocked My Way With a Stern Voice

"Sie müssen frühstücken,
bevor Sie gehen!

I honestly had no idea what the woman was saying! In 2010, as I was running solo across Germany, I stayed in a small village inn for an evening that was operated by an elderly German couple. I can tell you that if you ever plan to run across a foreign country where the locals do not speak English, it's a good idea to know their language! That wasn't the case for me. I knew just barely enough German to request a room for one night; to ask the location of the nearest bathroom; to order basic German cuisine; and, to understand German currency enough to pay properly. However, that was about it.

It was always an adventure to run into a small village in Germany and to enter an inn where I would stay for an evening. In this particular case, I awoke the next morning and wanted to get on the road. I had stayed in an upstairs room of a house that had apparently been converted into an inn. I came down the stairs the next morning, checked out at the desk with a smile, handed back the room key (having already paid), and turned for the front door. It was then that the large German woman quickly got in front of me and blocked my way. She began saying: "Sie müssen frühstücken, bevor Sie gehen!" -- repeatedly. I had no idea what she was saying, and I was wondering if I had done something wrong due to how adamant she was being... literally blocking the front door.

There I was, an American with a bright yellow jogging stroller, standing in the entry of a small village inn and absolutely perplexed by what this woman was trying to convey to me. Fortunately, a gentleman started to come down the stairs and I asked him if he could tell me in English what she was saying. To my good luck, he spoke English. He listened to her and then looked at me with a smile. He said, "She's saying that you must have breakfast before you can go." The woman was apparently concerned that I was about to venture out on an empty stomach. I opened my food bag and showed her that I had enough food supplies for the day, and she seemed satisfied by seeing that. She smiled and stepped away from the door, allowing me to leave.

I ran through the village that early morning feeling grateful that there are still good people looking out for others, no matter where you may be. She didn't need to feed my stomach that day, but she did feed my soul by her concern for my well being.

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

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

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

The Chaplain's Closet and the Symbolic Shoes of Sacrifice

Nine years ago I did a 500-mile, 19-day solo run across Germany after being invited to do so by the U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools. I ran from Grafenwoehr (in Eastern Bavaria) to Landstuhl (in the district of Kaiserslautern). After completing the run, I was invited to visit the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) -- a military hospital operated by the United States Army and the Department of Defense. LRMC is the largest military hospital outside the continental United States and serves as the nearest treatment center for wounded soldiers coming from Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, it serves military personnel stationed in the European Union as well as their family members.

As I saw wounded warriors and the personnel assisting them, I was truly struck by the sacrifice of our military men and women. I was escorted to the "Chaplain's Closet," which is a part of the Landstuhl Hospital Care Project -- a non-profit organization that provides comfort and relief items for military members who become sick, injured, or wounded from service in the Middle East. The Chaplain's Closet allows all in-patients, out-patients, LRMC liaisons, LRMC nurses, and medical escorts access to supplies. The purpose of the program is to enhance the morale and welfare of troops and veterans by contributing quality of life items.

While at the Chaplain's Closet, I inquired about two shoe bins bearing the labels "left" and "right." I learned that the bulk of the shoes have no mate because the other is being used by someone who has lost a limb. The bins were placed in the Chaplain’s Closet late in 2005, when the hospital had an influx of soldiers injured by roadside bombs in Iraq. Every single shoe in the bins represents someone’s life that has been dramatically altered.

I will never forget looking at those bins of single shoes after having just run solo across Germany on two strong legs. It quickly made me realize that what I had accomplished greatly paled in comparison to what our country's military personnel accomplish each and every day for all Americans. I left the Chaplain's Closet with tears in my eyes, and gratitude in my heart, as I took one last look back at the symbolic shoes of sacrifice.

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

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

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