Even as “tweets,” these quotes are humbling. – SCN Encourager 2/12/2014

Let’s go back in time to August 1936.

The general topic today is the same as yesterday’s — running fast.

It’s a skill I wish I still possessed.

And no, this Encourager is not a recap of yesterday’s sad tale of the 5th grade girls kicking my sorry butt at my elementary school’s “track & field day.”

This is about Jesse Owens kicking Hitler’s butt at the Berlin Olympics.

Jesse’s story is worth remembering.

And not just as another matter-of-fact profile piece during Black History Month.

While a mystery remains about whether or not Hitler snubbed the gold medal winning Owens, there was nothing uncertain about the statement Owens made to the world.

When I looked at the range of quotations from Jesse Owens on the web, I was attracted by the insights and character demonstrated by this incredible man.

And you know what happens when I get attracted to something or someone…

Bingo! It soon becomes an Encourager.

I wondered how Owens would’ve fit in with today’s Olympic athletes.

About the only thing I’m sure of that Jesse would’ve enjoyed pounding out tweets non-stop with all of his teammates.

Here are 10 amazing Jesse Owens quotes that are fully Twitter ready.

(I only edited a couple of them to get under the 140 character limit.)

“One chance is all you need.” (32)

“A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.” (44)

“The road to the Olympic leads to no city, no country… The road to the Olympics leads – in the end – to the best within us.” (127)

“We all have dreams… to make dreams come into reality takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” (136)

“After all those stories about Hitler… I come back and I couldn’t ride in the front of the bus or live where I wanted. What’s the difference?” (138)

“The battles that count are not for gold medals… those invisible, inevitable, battles inside all of us — that’s where it’s at.” (126)

“Life doesn’t give you all the practice you need.” (55)

“For a time, at least, I was the most famous person in the entire world.” (71)

“In America anyone can still become someone.” (43)

“Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.” (47)

Whew! Imagine these kind of tweets coming out of the Olympic Village today.

Pretty good stuff.

Being the selfish knucklehead that I am, I couldn’t help searching the goldmine of Jesse Owens quotes to see if he ever offered running advice.

It turns out, Jesse Owens had the perfect tweet for people like me.

“I let my feet spend as little time on the ground as possible. From the air, fast down, and from the ground, fast up.” (116)

What a wise guy!

Tom Page, SCN