You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
Do these words freak out anyone else out there? Even just a little? They are from Dr. Seuss' OH THE PLACES YOU'LL GO, and I re-read it every few years. It never gets any less eerie. I know it is a kids book, but I still find it so perfectly simple and effective at summing up the confusion of adult life.
This being my first post in quite a while, I feel I have to offer an explanation. When I started this blog it was with the intention of letting friends and family in far away places know what I'm doing with my life. Being lazy and quite lousy at keeping in touch with people, it seemed an easy way to let any and all that cared to take a peek. Very quickly it has started to feel redundant. I do the same crap over and over again. Not to say I'm not enjoying myself, but rather I lack the writing skill to describe the more subtle differences in my experiences. From a more objective standpoint I eat, sleep, work, and run around in the mountains. I will take the exact same run four or five days a week for the entire summer, just like last summer. I'm pretty sure no one really wants to hear about that in detail. Most of the time nothing of interest happens on these runs for me, and certainly not for someone reading about it. Why do it? Well, I suppose there is a healthy dose of escapism in there. Also, as I'm sure I've said before, it is a way to get a little connection with Nature. A little recharge of my soul, if you will. Sometimes I have amazing feelings of primal belonging, but when I try to write about it I always find it trite.
So then I'm left to relate the rare times I do or feel something special. Big races, especially beautiful moments, heavy things that weigh on my mind. More and more, however, I find that my life is less about epiphany and more about refinement. It all seems so boring in print.
So when there are these long lapses between posts, and find yourself wondering "what is that jack ass up to?" here is a quick reference to how I spend my time.
- I run, frequently. I don't know how many miles. I somewhat keep track of time, but I don't add it up. I don't run on pavement, and I rarely run anything flat. In fact, running is a misleading term. There is more than a little hiking involved. Let's just say that moving efficiently through the mountains is my form of meditation. This can include running, climbing, hiking, or sliding on my butt. I tend to put it all under the heading of "running." Moving as lightly as possible through the wilderness is my religion. Races are my pilgrimage.
- I work. I don't like to talk about this one much. It is a necessary evil. It puts a roof over our head and food in our bellies in exchange for about 37 hours a week. I can wear flip flops and t-shirts, so it isn't all bad. I sell stuff. Most of it people don't need. Most of it is made in China out of petro chemicals. I'm certainly no saint.
- I have an amazing girlfriend, and I'm not sure why she puts up with me. She has hope, passion, and a slew of other attributes in which I am deficient. We try to spend as much time together (especially outside) as possible. Together we have two dogs and a cat that, I'm quite sure, are the cutest and most fit furballs around. The dogs are my most frequent running partners. They are my role models. Sound strange? Yeah, I am, you should know this by now.
- I sleep. More than most people, yet barely enough. About 8 hours a night, and often naps on my off days. Maybe that is why I like running so much. It justifies my love of eating and sleeping.
- I eat. This one is ever evolving and the source of much thought and guilt. What is healthier? What is best for the planet? What creates the least suffering? I used to live on coffee and bagels. The above mentioned ladyfriend has helped change this. The food system in the U.S. (and most of the world) is FUBAR and I'm struggling with it. Don't worry, I still eat plenty of food. There is just a lot more thought as to where it comes from. Some day I'll be able to grow my own.
- I read. Books, magazines, websites and blogs. You guessed it, I read a lot about running. Training, nutrition, injury prevention and rehab are all favorites. I also read about the environment and other issues. So much of it is scary and depressing, but i can't ignore it. I'm also interested in Native history. I find so much inspiration and amazement in examining cultures that were able to live in balance with the world. There is so much knowledge to be gained from people who have lived with such intimate contact with the earth. I don't read much fiction. Reality is so much more...freaky.
Repeat...
So if I don't post for a while, well, no news is usually good news. I am probably just grinding on through weirdish wild space, striving to be like Rosie and Scot, and live a life governed by food, water, shelter and love.
