The Music Of Running
Since May-ish I have had this annoying running injury that has kept my miles down. Running has been a norm in my life since I was in jr high track. (Probably had to do with mom taking me Rice University for her marathon training leaving me to run and jump around an NCAA race track and field). So being off the dirt as much as I’ve had to is nothing short of torture. But every once in awhile I can’t stand it, injury or no injury, I go out and run a few miles.
It keeps me sane.
It helps me listen. Sometimes that listening is through a book or music on the ol’ ipod, and sometimes it’s just running in silence.
Today it was music.
Good music is poetry with accompaniment. And so as I was making my second mile today, a new song I picked up, “Wonder-Dummied,” by Brooke Waggoner struck me in my current reality. It’s a slow starter and so not a great “running” song, but it picks up in an almost Russian, vodka dancing song kinda way. During the fast moving part she sings, “I tried my best alone, but it got me nowhere and I can’t do it on my own,” over and over to the end of the song.
Yeah… I know what that’s like. I’ve tried my best alone for years here and there; I’ve done the American thing and claimed my individuality charging headlong into whatever I thought worthwhile, alone; and it got me no where in the end. So, as I made my miles today I thought about how I STILL do that even though I know it gets me no where. What a relief. I don’t have to do life on my own…
As I was finishing my run, the last song I heard was by Muse. In their song “Starlight,” is a line that made me think: “Let’s conspire to ignite all the souls that would die just to feel alive.” Whether they meant it for good or bad, is beyond me. But it was poetry. Well-placed words.
No matter what I have “done” with my life I could say that there has been a thread of conspiracy to ignite those souls that are dying to be alive. I am not gung ho there right now by virtue of the kind of week I have had. And I am certainly not talking about some door-knocking, four-spiritual laws, jesus freak kind of crap either. (that certainly wouldn’t bring my dying soul alive.) But I could only hope that the way I live and the life I live with others (cause I can’t do it on my own) does more to bring alive the dying than simply perpetuate their death.
Who would of thought going for a run could reveal so much in 30 minutes? Imagine what would happen if I listened more the rest of the day….
It keeps me sane.
It helps me listen. Sometimes that listening is through a book or music on the ol’ ipod, and sometimes it’s just running in silence.
Today it was music.
Good music is poetry with accompaniment. And so as I was making my second mile today, a new song I picked up, “Wonder-Dummied,” by Brooke Waggoner struck me in my current reality. It’s a slow starter and so not a great “running” song, but it picks up in an almost Russian, vodka dancing song kinda way. During the fast moving part she sings, “I tried my best alone, but it got me nowhere and I can’t do it on my own,” over and over to the end of the song.
Yeah… I know what that’s like. I’ve tried my best alone for years here and there; I’ve done the American thing and claimed my individuality charging headlong into whatever I thought worthwhile, alone; and it got me no where in the end. So, as I made my miles today I thought about how I STILL do that even though I know it gets me no where. What a relief. I don’t have to do life on my own…
As I was finishing my run, the last song I heard was by Muse. In their song “Starlight,” is a line that made me think: “Let’s conspire to ignite all the souls that would die just to feel alive.” Whether they meant it for good or bad, is beyond me. But it was poetry. Well-placed words.
No matter what I have “done” with my life I could say that there has been a thread of conspiracy to ignite those souls that are dying to be alive. I am not gung ho there right now by virtue of the kind of week I have had. And I am certainly not talking about some door-knocking, four-spiritual laws, jesus freak kind of crap either. (that certainly wouldn’t bring my dying soul alive.) But I could only hope that the way I live and the life I live with others (cause I can’t do it on my own) does more to bring alive the dying than simply perpetuate their death.
Who would of thought going for a run could reveal so much in 30 minutes? Imagine what would happen if I listened more the rest of the day….