‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, this life…

I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down

You know the one that takes you to the places where all things meet, yeah…

That is part of the chorus from The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” Those words echoed in my head this morning as I turned over the keys to my favorite place to post – #REDFriday.

#REDFriday is now in the very capable hands of MeterMaid, a man I have watched grow and take hold of this F3 thing like a #SadClown who had found the #Solution. Knowing MeterMaid is driving the ship is the sweet part. Knowing someone else – anyone else – is driving the ship is the bitter part.

#REDFriday was my baby. It started with a few of us meeting on Friday mornings (probably because we were #Joggers, but that’s another story…) to do Murph. Sometimes we would change up the movements in Murph. One time, Duggar almost got renamed Strawberry when we subbed in big boy situps for squats. #Ouch.

Then it kind of morphed into some really stupid stuff. One Friday, a few of us did burpees. For an hour. One. Solid. Hour. Nothing but burpees. It has yet to be repeated.

Then we started just doing different Hero WODs. We would modify them as needed maintain the intensity but replace all the barbell movements. It was just a few of us, but man we had a lot of fun.

One day, Flossy commented on the number of guys who were showing up regularly and said, “You know, we might as well just go ahead and make that an official workout if that many guys are showing up.”

And so we did. And we called it #REDFriday. RED as in Remember Everyone  Deployed.

I thought it would continue growing and growing. I mean, who wouldn’t just jump at the chance to honor some heroes and get in the most intense workout of the week?

But it didn’t. It stagnated and then dropped off. And by dropped off I mean off a cliff.

There were two Fridays where I posted by myself. It reminded me of why I love the #1stF so dang much. Busting your behind is not nearly as easy or as fun as it is with a bunch of other knuckleheads in the #Gloom.

There were also a couple of semi-uncomfortable two man BoMs. It’s hard to explain those to passers-by. Kinda like the scene from “Something About Mary” where Ted falls down at the rest area only to be greeted by police everywhere as he stands up and realizes he is in a very uncomfortable place (like the back of a Volkswagen).

Then it started to grow again.

Then there was the time I started calling the Friday run group the FiA group. Oh man. That went over quite well. As punishment for my transgression it was decided that we would ALL post for #REDFriday then head over to the Fountain and hit the hills. Another stupid idea. Duly noted, gentlemen, that running hills is work also.

Over the last few months a very solid core of guys has continued to post on Friday and taken what is quite literally the #RedPill.

I’m a veteran of the U.S. navy – the world’s finest fighting force. I served some time in the Sandbox as well and I met some great men there. Some of them I miss terribly. One of them I had a chance to play cards with a few times got his own Hero WOD. If you like running backwards, give it a whirl.

#REDFriday, for me, was more than a workout (sound familiar?). It was a solemn hour where I took the time to reflect on the price that has been paid so that I can prance around in a red shirt and do goofy workouts that test you as much mentally and emotionally as they o physically.

And it was my baby. I started it. I stuck with it when no one else would.

Giving the keys to someone else is, well, challenging.

But at the same time it is invigorating.

The mission of F3 is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for the invigoration of male community leadership.

It was awesome to watch the other guys look at MeterMaid just a little differently this morning. It was even more awesome seeing his heart (literally seeing a heart if you check out the picture we took. He wears his heart not on his sleeve, but right there on his chest).

It’s awesome knowing I played a tiny part in a guy becoming a better leader.

It’s awesome knowing that F3 has given this hard-headed fool enough wisdom to know when it is time to step aside and then take action on it.

We all sense when it is time to move over and let someone else step in and have their time. At that moment we decide to be either a #BleedingDeacon or an #ElderStatesman.

The #BleedingDeacon holds on to his domain, squeezing the very life out of it by not allowing new blood to take over and push the group forward.

The #ElderStatesman steps aside knowing he has done his part and that he will still be called upon to share what he learned as the new leader pushes ahead.

And like all good things in F3, that concept has been shamelessly borrowed from the great Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Google their names for more info.

Today is bittersweet for me. But I want to travel down the road to where all things meet. As an #ElderStatesman, I know I am not the man who knows the road the best and that great leaders are even greater followers.

So it is with great anticipation that I step aside. As the great Admiral George Anderson (former Chief of Naval Operations) once said – #REDFriday, just as the U.S. Navy, has both a tradition and a future – and we look with pride and confidence in both directions.

Aye.