An Apology to Friends, Family, and Supporters... and A New Way Forward

To all of my friends, family, and supporters:

Today I received an e-mail from a friend about the way I have been writing my blog entries about Periclean Scholars. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to read, but it was true.

When you see an entry about Periclean Scholars, you feel it is like a sales pitch - as if you have to sit through a timeshare presentation. With each entry seemingly about the money, I have undermined your trust in me - and even in Periclean. The entries make me appear passive-aggressive and like all I want to do is suck you into donating.

In summary, I have been doing the exact opposite of what I have been trying to achieve. I’ve possibly alienated you - my friends and family - and made you dread reading about an organization that I love so much.

The worst part is that I am doing this with a pure heart. I don’t need to raise a certain amount of funds in order to run the race. I’m not looking to get anything back from the organization. I just want to incorporate Periclean Scholars into my race journey, as I find so many aspects of the organization to be inspirational.

From today onward, I will eliminate the “Reason #X to Donate” format for all Periclean Scholars entries. The focus will be on telling the stories that inspire me on my runs - and that shaped me into the person I am today. My main goal with each entry should now be more focused on sharing my passion and not on trying to get you to give.

Training for a marathon is a journey in and of itself. Writing this blog as a companion to my training and to my donation page has given me an outlet to learn and explore about what I’ve been doing right and what I need to change. My running has been going exceptionally well, and it may be because I have been able to admit (and learn from) my missteps. The opposite has been true for raising awareness of the Periclean program. Up until now, I am not sure why this was the case. Now that I know why you may not care to read about the PSAA, I hope that I can reverse that. The journey can continue - in the right direction this time.

I am extraordinarily grateful to my friend for giving me this feedback; perhaps it means that you can enjoy this part of my blog again without feeling like I want something in return.

To all of those whom I have alienated in this process, I am exceptionally sorry. I hope that you will consider reading my blog and enjoying it - and that I can regain your trust.

Respectfully,
Jill