A Window Seat

I’ve always hated running.  I was always short of breath and ready to quit from the start.  A few months ago, however, I decided to try it again…..and I discovered that if I kept going when I felt like quitting, I ended up liking it!  Amazing.

Usually, I run on a golf course and it is beautiful.  So this morning I went for a run.  It may sound silly but, as I ran,  I pretended that I was on a slow (very slow) moving train.  I wanted to take in the scenery.

There was a lone rabbit in a large grassy area, barely visible and sitting very still except for its twitching nose.   A single bird sat all on alone on a wire.  Still lake water sparkled.  A few yellow leaves were falling from trees….fall is coming.   There were men at work, tending to the greens.  There were hills.  There were valleys.  Beauty everywhere but only really appreciated by someone going slow enough to notice.  The simple but gorgeous stuff of life on this planet.

As I ran, I thought about life and that it should be more like a slow moving train.  I am tired of rushing.  I am tired of missing the small enjoyments of life because my focus is on some more distant goal.  It is impossible to focus completely on something far off and something close at the same time.  I remember the old adage of “stop and smell the roses.”  There is nothing wrong with setting goals and focusing on them periodically to make sure you’re walking in the right direction.  But there is also nothing wrong with looking around you, as you travel through life, and noticing what is right before your eyes.   In fact, if you don’t do this, you may arrive at your goal empty handed only to find out that the original goal was not as great as you thought.

So I am trying to slow down.  Instead of waiting for adventure in the future, I am looking for it along the way.  I love a slow moving train.  And just so I don’t miss anything, I want a window seat!