MAN IN THE MIRROR

What has your running done for you lately? If like me you run for solace, then the runs will produce clarity and structure. We tend to self evaluate out there on the roads and trails, searching and at the same time evolving a little. Running is unlike any other physical activity I have ever done. It stands above the others because of my approach to it. On my runs I find myself looking way beyond the concept of who I think I am. It has been often said that Man(as in mankind) is 3 things. Who he thinks he is, what others think he is, and who he really is.

Much has been said the past few weeks about the Man in the Mirror. Tragic brilliance, the yin yang of all things. To truly celebrate one's life do we have to let go of the shortcomings or things even darker or just plain wrong. I have pondered the MJ question and on my run yesterday it was all I could think about. My 8 year old son is the only reason I am still living on St. John, and as I saw and listened to Paris Jackson speak about her feelings for her father I am reminded how fragile Life is and how I mask my feelings so often. Men don't cry so I am told, but millions did yesterday, not so much for Michael, but for the overwhelming feeling that the loss of any parent or child for whatever reason is one of Life's cruelest moments. One that can never be explained to make sense to the rational mind. At times I feel as fragile as that 11 year old girl, who will never have the comfort of her father again and has been dealt the lowest blow life can dish out. As an adult I may or may not have a higher understanding of these things, but to a child it should never have to happen yet it does daily. Some kids never get over such a tragedy. The JFK-JFK Jr. saga comes to mind. Why? I surely will never know and although I think about it, I do not want to pursue the answer in definitive terms because I believe there is not an answer that I will accept.

Looking in the mirror can be a tough process if you are looking for answers to why you are who you are. I can tell you that running will make your reflection an image you may be aspiring to. Running will unleash thoughts and ideas in the recesses of your mind. It will make you question the core of who you think you are. I don't run to enter these realms, they just happen. Whatever chemical reactions occurring in the brain on distance runs is the life force of evaluating the man in the mirror. I have demonized him for his bad choices and embraced him for the good ones. So I say if you want to make the world a better place then Run. You may just find that your running will allow you to stand in front of that mirror a little bit longer and just smile!