Henry Rono speaks

[MJD]

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read. ... 583&page=0

[Guest]

It's already been noted ......... by you I might add.

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/discus ... sc&start=0

[MJD]

Different thread. Should have said "again" I guess. He only posted a couple of times on that last thread. He is all over this one.

No one is interested in any event. It's all about skin pigmentation over here, it would appear.

[Brian]

Different thread. Should have said "again" I guess. He only posted a couple of times on that last thread. He is all over this one.

No one is interested in any event. It's all about skin pigmentation over here, it would appear.

...or perhaps no one beyond a certain level is interested in Rono's shallow ramblings. Ever actually read any of H.R.'s stuff? Lived in the US for 30 years now and STILL can't compose a decent sentence in English...?

[Daisy]

English is widely spoken in Kenya too. I assume he spoke English before coming to the US.

There are plenty of American kids who also have a problem with composing and comprehending English. How do you explain that?

[MJD]

Different thread. Should have said "again" I guess. He only posted a couple of times on that last thread. He is all over this one.

No one is interested in any event. It's all about skin pigmentation over here, it would appear.

...or perhaps no one beyond a certain level is interested in Rono's shallow ramblings. Ever actually read any of H.R.'s stuff? Lived in the US for 30 years now and STILL can't compose a decent sentence in English...?

You missed my point.

[Guest]

Different thread. Should have said "again" I guess. He only posted a couple of times on that last thread. He is all over this one.

No one is interested in any event. It's all about skin pigmentation over here, it would appear.

...or perhaps no one beyond a certain level is interested in Rono's shallow ramblings. Ever actually read any of H.R.'s stuff? Lived in the US for 30 years now and STILL can't compose a decent sentence in English...?

What makes your shallow ramblings more interesting than Rono's?

Myself, I find Henry's writing and life story fascinating - a profoundly human one, one of success, and failure, and of redemption. Rono touches many in a very personal and human way. He motivates many.

What's your story, Brian? Who do you motivate?

[Guest]

English is widely spoken in Kenya too. I assume he spoke English before coming to the US.

Plenty of American kids also have a problem with composing and comprehending English? How do you explain that?

Yes, and if you Google racist websites you'll find many quotes about African-Americans just like Brian's . How many write as well as Rono in Compton?

English is the language of government and business in Kenya but most do not speak it a home. It would be a stretch to say that English is "widely spoken" among the impoverished sons of goat herders from where Rono came.

http://www.world66.com/africa/kenya/language

edit: "There are many places, however, where no one in the village knows English."

[Daisy]

English is the language of government and business in Kenya but most do not speak it a home. It would be a stretch to say that English is "widely spoken" among the impoverished sons of goat herders from where Rono came.

http://www.world66.com/africa/kenya/language

Good site. i did not know Rono's background but I have met many Kenyans with excellent English. Obviously it's impossible to generalise though.

[EPelle]

Do most Kenyan steeplers speak good English? Many train in England.

[Guest]

English is the language of government and business in Kenya but most do not speak it a home. It would be a stretch to say that English is "widely spoken" among the impoverished sons of goat herders from where Rono came.

http://www.world66.com/africa/kenya/language

Good site. i did not know Rono's background but I have met many Kenyans with excellent English. Obviously it's impossible to generalise though.

Nandi's are a sub group of the Kalenjin, of which almost all of Kenyans distance runners come from. The Nandi tribal language is probably close to the original Bantu tongue.

[Guest]

Do most Kenyan steeplers speak good English? Many train in England.

I don't think "most" would be an accurate description.

[EPelle]

Do many Kenyan steeplers speak good English? Many train in London. Most of them have communication with the outside world.

[EPelle]

While I was awaiting an answer on the above post, something interesting popped up:

Kenya: Athletes Should Look to the US for Progress
Source

They must speak better English - and more widespread - than one thinks

[Brian]

Different thread. Should have said "again" I guess. He only posted a couple of times on that last thread. He is all over this one.

No one is interested in any event. It's all about skin pigmentation over here, it would appear.

...or perhaps no one beyond a certain level is interested in Rono's shallow ramblings. Ever actually read any of H.R.'s stuff? Lived in the US for 30 years now and STILL can't compose a decent sentence in English...?

What makes your shallow ramblings more interesting than Rono's?

Myself, I find Henry's writing and life story fascinating - a profoundly human one, one of success, and failure, and of redemption. Rono touches many in a very personal and human way. He motivates many.

What's your story, Brian? Who do you motivate?

You don't like reading my shallow ramblings? Gee, you MUST be a racist then.

Get MY point?

And for the record, Rono's running was a huge source of motivation for me. His writing is not. Much of what he writes is repetitive complaining about how the world stiffed him. Even the alcohol problem was because of the big cruel world. Please. As someone who has had two alcoholics marry into my family, I can tell you that Rono had plenty of enablers around him just because he was a great runner. That makes for bad habits he possibly hasn't learned to change yet. Enablers much like some of the people on this board who are quick to exclaim how great he is at anything he does--and make excuses for him--because you remember the same thrill I felt watching him run.

[Also, the thrill of one of your running gods elevating you by speaking to you--"The king looked at me! The king looked at me!"--which is how certain other heroes of the past stay alive on letsrun.com. Then they call anyone who opposes their worship Trolls...but that's another story.]

You like Rono's writing, fine. But attack me for saying I don't? Get a life.


And did it ever occur to anyone that Rono is now suddenly less reclusive because he supposedly has a book coming out soon? More power to him, but open up your eyes, folks. LOTS of people in the past who tried to deal fairly with him discovered he had a manipulative streak.