In The Long Run - A Father, a Son, and Unintentional Lessons in Happiness by Jim Axelrod-Memoir
Axelrod covered Hillary Clinton during the Democratic
primary campaign in 2008, which meant long periods away from his wife and three
children. He found himself eating poorly, gaining weight; and drinking too
much.
During the spring months of Clinton's campaign, Axelrod
discovered his father Bob's finishing times for the New York City Marathon,
which he ran in 1980 to 1982. His last race time was an impressive 3:29:58 at
the age of 46. Axelrod, inspired by his father's marathon achievements, aimed
to beat his best time by November 1, 2009 when he too would be 46.
Bob Axelrod died in 2000 after a nine-year battle with
prostate cancer, at the age of 63. Despite his shortcomings as a man, Axelrod
lovingly remembers his father; and shares life lessons he learned from him even
in death.
In 1965, at the age of two and a half, he attended the
World's Fair in New York City. There, using his strong hands, his father lifted
him to safety from the little boats featured at the Walt Disney exhibit.
At eight years old, his father often arrived home from work
and took time to play catch with him outside. By 15, Axelrod was jealous of his
track teammates, whose father's regularly attended their meets. Bob Axelrod was
nowhere to be found. By then, two mortgages, a law practice, and other
responsibilities consumed his days.
Axelrod realized the finality of his father's death; and
particularly missed his congratulatory calls on his office phone soon after
reporting on the evening news. "All I'd had with my dad was all I'd ever
have," he says.
Misguided career aspirations confronted Axelrod before and
throughout his training for the NYC Marathon. During the Iraq War, Axelrod
volunteered to report events from inside the battlegrounds, against the wishes
of his wife. He found himself stranded in a Humvee over the Euphrates River,
fearing for his life; and wondering how he'd let his judgments become so
maladjusted.
New management at CBS, not familiar with his work,
marginalized his contributions. Never one to be excluded from advancement, he
accepted assignments that ultimately proved to be a bad fit.
He served as Chief White House correspondent for three years
before understanding he needed to relinquish the position. "I'd come to
Washington to take my place as a boldfaced name. I'd come looking for a
prestige boost, expecting my posting at the White House to get me acknowledged
and registered." "I'd let myself lose sight of the things that most
immediately grounded me, made me truly happy."
While training for the NYC Marathon, Axelrod consulted with
his younger brother, Peter (Petey), an in-shape, San Francisco federal
prosecutor. His advice to "slow down you'll go further" became a
metaphor for Axelrod's life in general. Happy
New Year Wishes 2020
A behind-the-scenes account of network news reporting
complements Axelrod's narrative. He describes the jostling correspondents
engage in to have the President answer their questions during a White House
press conference. Poignant details of Dan Rather attending his father's funeral
are also included.
On September 8, 2012, Axelrod appeared on behalf of the
Westlake Porter Library at the Westlake High School Performing Arts Center, in
Westlake, Ohio. He highlighted his near-death experience over the Euphrates
River; and White House reporting, as defining, life-changing events. "You
learn so much more from your defeats than your victories," he said.
"In The Long Run" is a compelling narrative,
especially for mid-life males around Father's Day or their birthday.
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