Charles Stanley Modlin, Sr., age 82
“I breathe in that fresh morning air and think about how God has blessed me."
by Laurie Herr
Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Photo by Angela Shoemaker
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I enjoy getting up early and running at 3 a.m. I love looking up into the black starry sky and being at one with myself. I breathe in that fresh morning air and think about how God has blessed me. I credit my son, Dr. Charles Modlin, Jr., with the fact that I am alive today. In 1994 I was diagnosed with colon cancer and in 1997 with prostate cancer. Both were treated successfully at the Cleveland Clinic, where my son is a doctor and kidney transplant surgeon. He speaks all across the country about the need for the elimination of health disparities in African American men, who die from prostate cancer twice as often as white men. I try to remind all people that they have the power within themselves to stay active and live healthier lives. Even if you can’t run, try to start walking, even small distances. Learn to take deep breaths. Swing your arms when you walk to help the blood flow through your body. Get outdoors, and get moving.