About

Hello! I’m Sandy Rowan.

I was born on Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska, before it was a state. At the age of ten, and after traversing the country as a military brat (I beg to differ on the brat part!), my family settled down in Oregon after my dad’s retirement. The family, including the three of us sisters, moved to Sisters, Oregon, with a view of the majestic and snowy Three Sisters Mountains (a.k.a. Faith, Hope, and Charity) that sit upon the crest of the Cascade Range, next to the dense forest of the Three Sisters Wilderness area. I like the number three. We three sisters have one brother, but we never lived in Brothers, Oregon, which is a pass-through town that used to be a stagecoach stop. Now I live in the Rogue Valley, in the city of Medford, Oregon, with my husband, Bill, and Halia the Dog. My tech crew (two sons) grew up years ago and left the nest, but luckily, I can still track them down, even if they don’t answer a text.

Medford nestles beautifully in a valley, surrounded by the beacons of the landscape—Roxy Ann Butte, the Table Rocks, the Rogue River with its fluctuating flows and meandering nature, and Mount Ashland, which stands tall and casts its shadow late in the day over the city of Ashland. Rumor has it, the ghost of William Shakespeare roams the theatre and stages of the world-renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival to make sure the cadence of iambic pentameter is used correctly.

I am a retired teacher, coach, and runner. Currently, I am a relaxer (a.k.a. doing what I want), a watcher of grandkids’ games and events, and an onlooker in awe of my husband’s ability to do all of the yard work and cooking, as well as his willingness to, sometimes, go into T.J. Maxx (my fave!). I am always ready to have a catch and throw a football or play Garage Ball anytime, dance in the kitchen or aisles of the grocery store, eat Dilly bars, FaceTime the ones I love 2,000 miles away, and snuggle with my dog (a.k.a. The Furry Blanket).

I never would have thought to write anything for others to read, but recently, a beautiful story fell into my lap that I knew I had to write about and share. The process made me think about how we are all storytellers as we weave in and out of our daily lives, talking and relating to others. Most of all, I had a deeper realization that we each have our own stories—some shared, some not, and some that are difficult, easy, funny, made-up, or a billion other adjectives that describe the journey of our lives.

As a collegiate athlete at the University of Oregon in the mid ’70s, I earned five varsity letters in track and cross country. Title IX legislation for women’s athletics had passed two years before I attended U of O, and it was an exciting time with more opportunities on the horizon. I learned a lot about myself during those four years, and I realized that hard work would pay off if I approached every workout by stepping on the track, knowing what my goals were for that day, and always trying to do my best. As a runner, you learn that sometimes things don’t always go as planned, whether it’s an interval you run, a race strategy that went out the window, a different lane you start the race in, or a midterm that kept you up late studying. I believe that life is a lot like running. As Harland Yriarte, a running guru, expounds: “You gotta adapt.” Running mimics life in so many ways with the nuances of the ups and downs that we can never predict.

When you “toe the line” to start the race, the world melts away and the focus is on meeting and finishing the challenge. As much as that is true, the seconds and minutes in between will unfold in ways you might think will happen according to plan, or perhaps not. Embrace the chaos! That’s life, isn’t it? Twists and turns along the way can change everything, but remember, being flexible and going with the flow can imaginably transform the outcome you never would have believed. Being perfectly imperfect is what propels the beauty of growth and self-compassion in the effort of achieving goals. Enjoy the journey each and every day, and discover the hidden treasures and stories that, sometimes, are not that hard to find.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Shhhh . . . Don’t tell anyone, but I think I like dogs better than cats now. Besides, Dogs Rule and Cats Drool. I know—it’s really the other way around. Have you met a boxer? I still like cats too.
I played a Gorgon and also a teacher in two short movies produced by my son for his senior English class. My husband, Medusa, lost his head in “Perseus, the Phantom Menace,” but at least he still has his marbles. My son got into three film schools.
I think I’m a hoarder, but I’ve heard if you say it out loud, then you aren’t. “I think I’m a hoarder.”
I am afraid of the dark—I still refuse to look under the bed at night. On the other hand, I have always had an infatuation with things that glow in the dark. I hope these two worlds never collide.
I competed at the national championships in track and field twice, once at Kansas State and once at UCLA. Can you guess which one had tornado warnings in between races? I got soaked!
I wish secret passages weren’t so secret. I adore them.
I ran in a 5k the day before my son was born, and I won. He was born on his due date.
Oh yeah, I also won a two-mile race ten days later.
Is Spam good for cholesterol levels? What about fried bologna? I love both.
Sometimes, when my husband and I are watching a movie or TV show, and the actors are speaking French, I have my husband believing that I know exactly what they are saying. When he asks me what they are saying, I make it up. Thank you, high school French and Madame Lyon.
I have experienced pure joy in watching altruistic Kindergartners run outside to the playground on a soggy morning after a hard rain—they try and rescue all the worms. Their compassion gives me great hope for the future.

Au Revoir

Contact: waterfallstarts@gmail.com