Escape.
The sticky, humid midwest air is an aphrodisiac to my disgruntled mind. The sweet scent floods my lungs as my nostrils flare, greedily craving the feeling of freedom it evokes. My chest heaves and my body relaxes as the rhythmic percussion of synthetic rubber on concrete, my last tie to the world, slowly slips into the oblivion. With each passing step the material world disappears, as I become an ethereal being, existing as only a constant stream of thoughts meandering through the city streets. I have escaped.
Along the trails, backroads, and dirt paths of my route exists an unearthly sense of levity. The troubles of life simply fade away as I press further into my Eden. Without this temporary solace, I am quite certain I would lose my mind. You see, my mind is a terrible thing...always thinking. Contrary to what one might expect, thinking can be extremely hazardous to your health. Life's simple problems and deadlines, goals and dreams, the dues and owes, all weigh more heavily on my mind than most. It is only when I lace up that the gravity of worry and stress piled on my shoulders morphs from the globe on burden laden Atlas' shoulders to the bright red ball resting on the nose of a frivolous seal. I admit, that's not my best metaphor, but it illustrates my point poignantly.
Speaking of my mind, the damn thing never stops. Whether I'm out on a run imagining typing a grandiose blog post or huddled in bed staring at the ceiling, the thoughts never cease. It's scary the power that thoughts hold over me. Only with my daily hour long meditation in my running shoes have I slowly begun to harness their unimaginable power. It's amazing to watch how the smallest of pains, the most innocent comments, and the littlest stresses can derail me from positive thought and make the task ahead seam insurmountable. Sometimes I marvel at the ease at which my mind convinces me I can't do something. One day I'll embrace my inner Oppenheimer and discover the power of fusion between my body and mind and turn the impossible to the every day.
And so I press on.
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