You Just Get Faster

Legendary cyclist Greg LeMond is credited with a wise and brutally honest response to a question about his training and dedication to his sport:

“It doesn’t get easier, you just get faster.”

I received an email recently from a mom who was dealing with a fresh diagnosis of her four year old son.  She was asking for advice and a sliver of optimism about what stood before her family.  It brought me back to our early years when we were lashing out, grasping at any piece of hope, positivity or promise of security.  And it sent me on a week-long introspective journey that led me back to Greg LeMond’s quote.

It doesn’t get easier, the battles just change.  The initial shock of the diagnosis fades into fights with school systems and insurance companies over treatment and services.  The fear that he may never communicate fades into apprehension about leaving his warm, comforting teachers and starting middle school in a brand new environment.  These battles and fears will morph into new ones… and so it goes. 

Maybe, if you’re lucky, you will find peace.  Maybe, if you’re lucky, you will learn mechanisms to fend off those moments (days) of depression and crippling fear about the future.  Maybe, if you’re lucky, you will learn to hide from that vicious, ugly monster named “Comparison”.

Maybe you will find an outlet for all these emotions.  Maybe you will start a blog and write about these fears.  Maybe, if you’re lucky, you will start to receive wonderful compliments from thousands of people you’ve never met who thank you for helping them get through their tough days.  Maybe you will lie in bed at night and giggle to yourself because you have them all fooled into thinking you have the first God-damned clue about what you’re doing.

Then, maybe you will put a pillow over your face as your giggles turn to tears and try to mask them from your wonderful wife… because you have her fooled too. 

Then, maybe you will wake up the next morning, kiss your little hero on the forehead, fry up some bacon for breakfast, and get back to it.

It doesn’t get easier, you just get faster.


7 thoughts on “You Just Get Faster”

  • 1
    dogfordavid on August 29, 2013

    Beautiful…

    your honesty and willingness to show your humanness in this journey is why I appreciate your blog so much. Thank-you <3

  • 2
    Lucas Moore on August 30, 2013

    It is mirror of life. I like your blog. Yes!! if you're lucky, you will learn to hide from that vicious.

    Regards,
    Buy Noni Juice

  • 3
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  • 4
    Teicia on October 22, 2013

    Love it Mr and Mrs Bacon. Keep on, keeping on!

  • 5
    Jim on November 4, 2013

    "It doesn't get easier, you just get faster." Of everything I've read today about parenting, that perspective has resonated the most.

  • 6
    nata on April 4, 2014

    very interesting this post
    nopalea

  • 7
    Sarah Kunde on November 8, 2016

    Mr Bacon was the first one to comment on my blog when it was in its infancy. Our community rallies around each other and provides the strength for all members to keep on keeping on. My best advise, don’t ignore your emotions but everyday, find some bliss. Write it down somewhere and when the times get really hard, reflect back.

    Not sure everyone knows but the Laughter Mum http://laughtercouldbethemissingpiece.blogspot.com/ doesn’t always laugh. It does change over time. The big things when James was little are now tiny shadows and new challenges sometimes seem daunting. But everyday, this mum has to put on her game face and prepare for the unknowns. As I write this, I can hear my almost 13 year old softly breathing and I know everything is going to be okay. PEACE

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