How Long Can YOU Stand On Your Head?
Thursday, March 5, 2026
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” – Walter Elliot
When I decided to major in Sports Administration in college, I really didn’t have a choice of where to attend because St. John’s University in Jamaica, New York was the only school in the country that offered such a specialized degree. However, coming from a small town of less than 4,000 people, I was overwhelmed by living in the Queens section of New York City… and more than a little homesick. By my sophomore year, I was also seriously dating a young lady back in South Jersey and that gave me even more reason to want to transfer closer to home.
I did some research and found that Temple University offered a degree in Community Recreation, and they agreed to accept all my credits so I could graduate on time. And so, by January 1979, I couldn’t wait to switch from being a St. John’s Redman to a Temple Owl. The only problem was that I still had a full semester to go.
Bummer!
My dad, sensing how anxious I was, took me aside and shared some advice that I still remember to this day. “It’s only another four months,” he said, reassuringly. “You can do that standing on your head.”
I suppose my dad took that approach to life when he enlisted in the Army in World War II and spent three long years fighting the Japanese in the jungles of the South Pacific. If he could endure that kind of danger and hardship by breaking time into small, bite-sized pieces, I guess I could do the same thing to combat my homesickness and my lovesickness.
And so, I started crossing off each day… and then each week… and then each month… and before you knew it, the spring semester was over and I was back home where I belonged.
My friend, there are times when life and its many challenges seem overwhelming. When (not if) that happens, I suggest that you follow my dad’s advice and take each day as it comes. Don’t look too far ahead and don’t bite off more than you can chew. Before you know it, you’ll be looking in the rearview mirror at the things you once dreaded.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
