Maurice DiMino & “The Walk Across the Valley”

You can say this started two or three years ago.  I was home for Christmas and driving around NYC with my sister and niece.  I told my niece, Amanda, that I was going to walk across America and give a speech every day.

Not thinking about what I said…I did not realize what she did right after I said that…she started to text and tell her friends that her Uncle was going to walk across America!  I was shocked and scared.  Here I was putting my word out there that I was going to do something big.

Fast forward to 2010…still this idea was in the back of my mind and more so I was feeling that I was not living up to my word.

In FaceBook, one of my friends, C. Neil Linton, http://www.facebook.com/cnlinton he was going to climb Mt. Fuji by himself.  He had put it out there and was sticking to what he said. Well, he did climb Mt. Fuji.  Oh, boy – now I am really thinking I better stick to my word.said

But how was I going to walk across America. I figured it would take me 7 to 8 months to do it.  I didn’t have that kind of time.

So I came up with an alternative and a reason.  Or should I say a friend of mine came up with an alternative.

I was talking to a good friend of mine, Glenn Hopkins, and I told him what I wanted to do.  He said, “Why don’t you try something small to see if you like it or for that matter can do it.”  So I came up with “Walk across the Valley.”  

I live in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, CA.  Ventura Blvd. runs through the better part of it along the Hollywood Hills.  I thought this would be a good test and trial.  So I am going to “Walk across the Valley.”

And I am going to promote the idea of bringing back the Smile to Los Angeles.  I feel that people in Los Angeles don’t smile enough and I would like to start a “Smile Campaign.”   So as I walk across the valley I will be smiling and saying hello to people and get them to smile and be friendly.

Do I have a good idea?  Or am I crazy?

Follow my journey today, Monday June 21 on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/maurice.dimino as I give updates.  I will begin around 7AM PST and continue till about Sunset.  Monday, June 21 is the first day of Summer – The longest day of daylight.  You can communicate with me via FaceBook as well.  Let me know what you think.  Heck if you want to stop by and say “Hello” and give me a nice big smile…that would be great.

If you like what I am doing – share this with a friend.  Thank you.

Ciao,

Maurice

PS: Tune in tomorrow to this Blog to see how I did.  Thank you.