Press Release: 2011 Turtle Trot 5k and Free Family-Friendly Turtle-Themed Events, Saturday, May 21

Arlington County's Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources is hosting the first-ever Turtle Trot 5k race on Saturday, May 21, at South Bluemont Park (601 North Manchester Street, North 4th Street Entrance, Arlington, VA 22203). This is a chip-timed, certified 5k race to support Arlington’s turtle and wildlife rehabilitation and education programs.

Advanced registration for the 2011 Turtle Trot takes place via www.Active.com. Registration fees are $30 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under. (Registration fee reductions are available to qualified individuals; call 703-525-0168.) Check-in and day-of registration for the race starts at 9 a.m. at the Lower Bluemont picnic shelter accessible from the North 4th Street entrance near the soccer fields off of Manchester Street. The race starts at 10 a.m. For more information, visit:
http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ParksRecreation/scripts/nature/TurtleTrot5K.aspx.

The Turtle Trot also includes a number of free events at the picnic shelter from 10:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. Watch an actual turtle race, take part in making turtle crafts, play turtle-themed games, jump on the moon bounce or have your face painted. Naturalists will also be on hand to answer your questions about Arlington’s turtles.

The 2011 Turtle Trot is sponsored by the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources (PRCR). The 2011 Turtle Trot 5k also enjoys generous support and prize give-aways from local merchants, including Chick-fil-A, Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, Shirlington Self Storage, Mr. Wash Car Wash, and Kinder Haus Toys.

Everybody Has a Story

I recently had dinner with my cousin, who moved to the area in the last year.  She has taken on several volunteer projects in her building, including writing the community newsletter.  During cocktails, she mentioned that she had interviewed a 94-year-old woman for one of her articles. 

When I asked what the article would be about, my cousin said there ended up being no article after the interview.  Instead, she told me about the conversation with the older woman, which had started because my cousin had gone to take photos of the fountain outside the building and this woman had been there with her helper.  My cousin took the photo for the newsletter with the two women in it and later took copies of the photos to them as a gift.  Both women were thrilled to receive the photos, and the older woman mentioned how happy she was to have a visitor that afternoon because she had been terribly lonely.  My cousin was struck by this and so she stayed and interviewed (had a conversation with) the older woman.  My cousin learned a bit about this woman's background and helped her overcome her loneliness.  She said, "It was nice to hear this woman's story."  And that's just it, everyone has a story.

I was reminded of this again last night as I had dinner with someone I've become friends with over the last six months. He and I went out to watch a hockey game, and over dinner and drinks I learned about his very nontraditional childhood and its effect on his views about religion, politics, work, and relationships.  He shared stories about having grown up relatively poor, his lack of formal education as a child, his father's death, and life growing up in an exotic location.  We barely watched the game because I was so fascinated by this person's totally unique experiences and world view - and the fact that I'd known him for six months and was just now learning all of this - that I couldn't stop asking questions.

And that is why I write.  Because everybody has a story.  I like knowing them, and I love sharing them.