OWL-DRAGON

7600. That, give or take a few days, is how long I have until my 80th birthday. It is a sobering realization. It is really not a very big number. Last night I ran 6x1000 meters. With the recoveries I ran 7200 meters. Those 7600 days will fly by as quickly as those meters did.

I realize that if I bought a refrigerator today it is quite likely I will never have to buy another one. That I will buy a new car maybe three more times. There unlikely to be more than five Olympic games in my future. I am not quite to the point of not buying green bananas but I am getting close.

I am trying not to fall into new age speak or other gobblygook but it is very important that I be present every moment. That I inhabit my world fully. I know that I will be distracted at times and the practicalities of life mean I will spend time in queues, or waiting, or being bore. But even then I want to there fully.

Does any of that make sense?

I do know (and have felt this for some time) that I don’t want to waste time being angry about meaningless things. I don’t want to waste time disliking people. I don’t want to fret about things that don’t matter.

Now I understand that is easier to say these things than to live them. What matters may be a complicated calculation. But I reckon that of lot of what doesn’t matter will be obvious and I am resolved not to let those things interfere with living.

Why is this posted on a running blog? Because I think I got to this point because of running. Running has connected me with the rhythms of my body and the world around me. Being out everyday straining against gravity, watching the sky revolve thru the seasons, the weather changes, the interplay of light and dark as we progress thru the year, all this and more is a product of running.

This time of year, late winter, I find myself fascinated with the shapes of leafless trees. The intricate branching against the cold winter sky entrances me. Soon the trees will green up and their structure will disappear and I will embrace that fullness too. It speaks to life and its continuity and provides hope.

It is because of running that I will rage against the shortening day and accept its inevitability.