I'm running in a half-marathon on March 14 in Washington, D.C. This is a Team in Training fundraising event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (basically our little piece of the Rock 'n' Roll Full and Half-Marathon).
My Team in Training is led by (and named for) my friend Lynne O'Brien. Lynne and I have known each other for 20 years, since we were young and not-very-successful associates in a prestigious law firm in Washington, D.C. Let's just say: we bonded.
It's sort of impossible for me to acknowledge that she's sick. I remember, the way you remember these things, the day she told me she's sick. I was out walking the dogs, which I do every day. It was snowy, which it often is. I was on a path I walk regularly. And I know it sounds melodramatic, but I suddenly felt lost.
So anyway, it's an important event to me; our fundraising will support research grants focused on immunological therapy — therapy that might help with Lynne's particular kind of cancer and with lots of others.
So what's this got to do with Justin Timberlake?
Well, I can't run a mile without my iPod and I find myself quite often listening to his bouncy music. I am a devoted fan (I've seen his show in Las Vegas and in Denver). Ask anybody, I'm nuts about him. Maybe don't ask my husband; he's sick of talking about it!
As I was beginning the training and the fundraising for the run, I thought: wouldn't it be nice if JT knew how helpful I'm finding his music? Wouldn't an artist want to know that he's inspiring people? Wouldn't our team be so boosted if we had a little donation to our fundraising from Justin Timberlake? Wouldn't our effort be so enormously boosted if he surprised us with a sizable donation from Justin Timberlake? Why not try?
So, I started Tweeting at Justin Timberlake -- maybe weekly. I don't think it was obnoxious about it; and he even retweeted me once, when I said something complimentary about a particular lyric. And every time, I've given him the link: http://pages.teamintraining.org/...
And nothing. No love from The Tennessee Kid. Big Bummer.
It's getting close to "go" time now, the race is less than 2 weeks away, and I might be forced to recognize that my relationship with Justin Timberlake is pure fantasy and wishful thinking. But that's ok, because I've got lots of real friends -- the ones who've stepped up, answered the call, know I wouldn't ask for a donation if it wasn't serious. You're the real stars; you know who you are; you're bringing sexy back. Oh, and here's the link: http://pages.teamintraining.org/...
