What I saw

I ran for 1:26:00 today. It was a beautiful Georgia "winter" day. The sky had that clear, deep blue that is so inspiring, and I can feel that even tyring to describe it would diminish it. That's the blue that I want people to think of when they remember me, some years down the road when I am no more. If you could inspire that image in someones mind when they thought of you, that would be something.

I ran across a bridge and saw my shadow far below on the bank of a creek. As I glimpsed myself moving across the small ravine bottom, I wondered what made the shadow mine; not physically casting the shadow, but having it be uniquely me. Anyone could be running there, and I'm not sure I could pick my own shadow out of a line up. And then it hit me that there is nothing, it is simply a shadow crossing a creek. If you followed it and saw it rescue the turtle from the road, or move the persons newspaper out of the path of their sprinkler, then you start to understand what's inside it. But, on the surface it could be anyone.

I ran past a trailer park with a large dumpster at its front gate...okay, I laughed.

The church parking lots were all full. I was almost run over by a family leaving a church, and wanting to get through the intersection before I did apparently...they did. "And peace be with you" I called out, though it may have sounded a little more like "you rotten son of a bitch."

I learned that from my Dad. The funny thing is that I didn't know it until last summer. I have been working on a house and trying to meet deadlines for two years. While running into snag after snag, I uttered the phrase many times, "You rotten son of a bitch!," or "You dirty rotten son of a bitch!," or "You low down dirty rotten son of a bitch!" It was a labor of love.
My Dad came up last summer to help me finish the bathroom. We were hanging some Sheetrock when low and behold the screw missed the stud and gouged the Sheetrock, and he said "you rotten son of a bitch." I laughed pretty hard, he didn't seem to find the same humor in it. I guess I understand, I don't know how I'll react down the road when I hear my son or daughter say it, but I know it's coming.

Finally, as I approached an outdoor produce stand that is closed for the season, I saw my wife waiting patiently for me. She had a warm oatmeal raisin cookie for me, which became my favorite by default when the triple chocolate chip was ruled out by my genetically high cholesterol...stupid cholesterol. She had some cold drinks for me and her naturally soft presence. What a great day.