,,! ,,METAL ,,POLE
              0,HOM] ,PAGE

  ,HOM] ,PAGE IS A L1D] 9 ! ,N,NAL
,F$],N (! ,BL ( ,COLORADO4 ,:5 HE 0 SIX
YE>S OLD HE LE>N$ A LESSON F A METAL
POLE1 & HE REMEMB]S X WELL 6? "D4 ,"H IS
H[ HE TELLS X3
  ,I 0 BORN SEV5 WEEKS 2F ,PE>L ,H>BOR4
,Z 7 S _M "Y M5 ( 8 G5],N MY "F 0 SOON
CAU<T UP 9 ! W>4 ,=A NUMB] ( YE>S DUR+
MY E>LY LIFE HE 0 AWAY F HOME 9 ! >MY4
  ,MY "Y] BRO!R & ,I LIV$ ) \R "M &
GR&"M ON \R FAMILY F>M4 ,MY "M & GR&"M 7
BL1 Z 0 ,I4 ,!Y RAN ! F>M1 :ILE WE WAIT$
& PRAY$ = MY "F 6-E HOME4 ,9 "T1 HE DID
RETURN SAFELY4 ,B DUR+ ? "T WE 7 R
ISOLAT$4
  ,DUR+ ^! YE>S ,I RE,Y DIDN'T "U/& T ,I
0 BL4 ,I 5JOY$ ENORM\SLY RUNN+ 9 ! OP5
FIELDS T MADE UP \R F>M4 ,I FELL (F A
TA# & BROKE MY >M1 & !N ANO!R "T ,I
SLIPP$ 9 ! WAT] ON ! BACK POR*1 ": MY "M
0 WA%+ CLO!S4 ,I FELL \ ! BACK DOOR &
BROKE MY >M AG4 ,9 EA* 9/.E ,I H>DLY
SL[$ D[N :ILE ,I WORE A CA/4 ,LAT]1 :5
,I 0 N9E1 ,I BROKE MY COLL>B"O PLAY+
TACKLE FOOTBALL AT S*OOL1 & / LAT]1 :5
,I 0 #AE1 ,I BROKE MY >M AG 9 A BICYCLE
A3ID5T4 ,"S"TS MY C\S91 :O 0 A FEW YE>S
OLD] WD -E 6VISIT4 ,HE WD TELL ME AB GO+
6S*OOL4 ,X S.D$ EXCIT+4 ,I CD H>DLY WAIT
UNTIL ,I WD 2 OLD 5 6CAT* ! S*OOL BUS &
G 6S*OOL4 ,I SP5T _M ( MY "DS PLAY+
S*OOL & DR1M+ ( R1D+ BOOKS4
  ,F9,Y ! "D CAME :5 ,I CD />T S*OOL4
,MY "F 0 HOME 0!N4 ,HE & MY "M TOOK ME
6S*OOL4 ,NO "O M5;N$ T ,I 0 BL4 ,:5 X 0
"T 6PLAY T F/ "D1 ,I JO9$ ! O!R *N & W5T
\TSIDE4 ,*N :O >E SIX YE>S OLD RUN4 ,!Y
RUN )\T PURPOSE4 ,!Y RUN 9 PACKS =!
SIMPLE JOY ( RUNN+4 ,! *N 2GAN 6RUN4 ,I
JO9$ !M1 & ,I TOO 2GAN 6RUN4
  ,MY NEXT MEMORY F ? "D L;G AGO IS /
VIVID4 ,I RAN 96! METAL POLE T BRAC$ !
PLAYGR.D SLIDE4 ,9 A SPLIT SECOND ,I 0
FLAT ON MY BACK4 ,MY NOSE _H SQU>ELY
/RUCK ! POLE4 ,I 0 9 A GRT D1L ( PA91 &!
O!R *N 7 GO+ ON )\T ME4 ,9 T MO;T ,I
R1LIZ$ T ,I 0 BL4
  ,I KNEW T IF ,I LAY "!1 OR IF ,I CRI$1
,I CD N PLAY )! O!R *N4 ,I GOT UP 6JO9
MY NEW FRS4 ,!Y N"E -;T$ NOR DID ,I4 ,I
SP5T MY *ILDHOOD & ADOLESC;E ) _M ( ^?
*N4 ,WE SELDOM TALK$ AB BL;S4 ,I J TOOK
"P 9 :AT"E ACTIV;Y PRES5T$ XF4
  ,"! 0 NO P;Y OR S5TI;TAL;Y %[N 6ME4
,:5 T1MS 7 *OS5 6PLAY S(TBALL1 ,I 0 *OS5
LA/4 ,B :5 T1MS 7 *OS5 = MA? OR SOCIAL
/UDIES -PETI;NS1 ,I 0 *OS5 F/4 ,^?
SELEC;NS 7 FAIR & NEI ,I NOR ANY"O ELSE
"Q$ !M4 ,X M1NT NO?+ 6ME 6BE SELECT$
LA/4 ,:AT 0 IMPORTANT 0 T ,I PLAY$1 T ,I
PLAY$ H>D1 & T ,I LOOK$ = WAYS 6MAKE A
POSITIVE 3TRIBU;N 6MY T1M4
  ,9 MY DECADES S9CE MY 5C.T] )! METAL
POLE1 ,I H M ?AN ONCE F.D MYF
FIGURATIVELY LY+ ON ! GR.D4 ,:AT ,I
LE>N$ AT SIX YE>S ( AGE1 & H RELE>N$
S"EAL "TS S9CE1 IS T GETT+ UP IS ! BE/
OP;N4 ,! O!R OP;N IS 6PLAY X SAFE & N
RE,Y PLAY4
  ,9 #AIHA ,I 0 ELECT$ 6! ,B\LD]1
,COLORADO1 ,C;Y ,C\NCIL4 ,9 #AIHF ,I 0
*OS5 6BE ,DEPUTY ,MAYOR (! C;Y4 ,9 #AIHH
,I 0 ELECT$ 6! ,B\LD] ,C.TY ,BO>D (
,-MIS.N]S4 ,DUR+ ALL B "O ( MY YE>S Z A
C.TY -MIS.N] ,I 0 EI ,*AIRMAN OR ,VICE-
,*AIRMAN (! ,BO>D4 ,H["E1 ?+S 7 N ALW
EASY4
  ,9 #AIHJ ,I RAN =! ,COLORADO
LEGISLATURE4 ,! RACE 0 V CLOSE4 ,NE> !
5D (! CAMPAIGN1 "W]S REPRES5T+ MY
OPPON5T 2GAN GO+ DOOR 6DOOR 9 ! 4TRICT
TELL+ VOT]S T S9CE ,I 0 BL1 ,I CD N
REPRES5T !M1 T ,I WD ONLY REPRES5T !
9T]E/S (! BL4 ,I LO/ T ELEC;N 0#ABJ
VOTES4 ,T METAL POLE _H J BLOCK$ MY PA?
ONCE AG4
  ,I GOT UP & />T$ 6RUN AG4 ,I F.D T ,I
_H WON ! RESPECT ( MY -MUN;Y4 ,A YE>
LAT]1 ,I 0 ELECT$ 6! ,B\LD] ,C;Y
,C\NCIL4
  ,F\R YE>S LAT] ,I RAN = RE-ELEC;N4 ,Z
TOP VOTE GETT] 9 ! ELEC;N1 ,I 0 9 L9E
6BE MAYOR1 B ONCE AG MY BL;S 2CAME AN
ISSUE4 ,I 0 N SELECT$ 6BE MAYOR4 ,I WAS1
H["E1 *OS5 6BE DEPUTY MAYOR4 ,ONCE AG1 T
METAL POLE _H GOTT5 9 ! WAY4
  ,9 #AIHH ,I RAN =! ,BO>D ( ,C.TY
,-MIS.N]S4 ,I UNS1T$ A POPUL> 9CUMB5T4
,9 #AIIA ,I 0 UNOPPOS$4 ,MY BL;S _H
SIMPLY C1S$ 6BE AN ISSUE T CD HELP A
POLITICAL OPPON5T4
  ,ON ,SEPTEMB] #A1 #AIIE1 ,I ASSUM$ !
RESPONSIBIL;Y ( DIRECT+ ! ,N,NAL ,F$],N
(! ,BL'S TRA9+ C5T] 9 ,COLORADO4 ,/UD5TS
AT ! ,COLORADO ,C5T] =! ,BL LE>N !
ALT]NATIVE SKILLS T !Y NE$ 6LIVE
9DEP5D5T & PRODUCTIVE LIVES1 & !Y LE>N !
ATTITUDES T !Y NE$ 6A3EPT & MANAGE _!
BL;S4
  ,Z ,I "W ) ,C5T] /UD5TS "! IS A
P]SPECTIVE T ,I HOPE 6BE A# 6%>E ) !M4
,P]H ,I C /ATE X L ?3 ,9 ! LIVES ( BL
P]SONS "! >E O3A.NAL METAL POLES4 ,ONCE
X 0 2LIEV$ T ^? POLES MADE LIFE TOO
DANG]\S OR TOO DI6ICULT = U 6BE A# RE,Y
6"PICIPATE ) SI<T$ P]SONS ON T]MS (
EQUAL;Y1 B N[ WE "K T ? IS SIMPLY N
TRUE4
  ,H["E WE AL "K T :5 ^? POLES APPE> 9
\R PA?S & FLATT5 U1 WE M/ GET BACK UP &
3T9UE 6RUN )\T BITT];S OR SELF-P;Y4 ,WE
M/ AL IMPROVE \R TRAVEL SKILLS "? LIFE1
S WE C AVOID Z _M ( ^? POLES Z POSSI#4
,WE M/ 2 T\< 5 6PLAY )\T S5TI;TAL;Y1 &
SM>T 5 6"K T 9 ? WAY LIFE W %[] U )
ABUND.E4