Universal Run

I'm fascinated by maps, cosmologies, anthropological material, archaeology; in high school I wanted to be an archaeologist.  Little did I know how my interests would coalesce into my interior excavations, and the quest for Self.  The symbol systems of art and the representations of spiritual practice remain, to me, one of my greatest passions.   It is a distinctly human endeavor to visualize and depict what is essentially invisible and unknowable.  As much as we can know,  we strive to mirror and replicate the worlds within.

Some of my favorite music to listen to on the run is world music,  flipping through the roulette of 8 track or similar to hear and learn more about music from many places, much of which has a nice rhythm and a good beat for running.  And if it strikes the right chord,  it can take me on long inner journeys as well, as I imagine indigenous runners through time who carried messages, or news, on their long jaunts through mountains, deserts, woodland trails- the internet of their time.  

Yesterday for my Sunday long run I headed out at dawn,  with just a crisp edge to the air fading with a hot sun rising as I took the overpass to head up 29th.   Runs have a universal feel.   There is nothing more fundamental than a body in motion.  If you walk long enough, or you run, then you know what I'm talking about.   As the rhythm takes over,  the body settles into the movement.  As I rounded out the top, and walked up to Angler's I could almost feel the relief from a week of stress floating off my body in waves....the heat picking up, the sweat gathering on my arms....heading west through the trailer park to pit stop at Griffin.   Feeling cautiously optimistic, and downing some electrolyte caps,  I swung over to 35th from the top down and had the long slow curves almost to myself.   I took heed to my stride, my gait, my hot spots....I imagined the Olympic hopefuls,  the weekend runners,  the young and old,  current and ancient, and I felt bonded with them all.  

There are many universal aspects to our lives.  And many things which connect us together, besides our basic biologic needs and activities.   Unlike modern sports, running harkens back to very ancient times.   I can run today much as I might have a zillion years ago, except today I carry nothing except what serves me, and no one is counting on me making it through.   I still imagine myself The Messenger.   And on some fundamental level, we all head out each day carrying the imprints of our deep hopes,  fears, concerns,  dreams and visions.  As you head into your day,  think about the lineage of your life and how you experience the motion of time.  Are you in sync?  Are you sure-footed?  Have you got the endurance and fuel you need to make it to your destination?  We are all 'in training' for long-term survival and must adapt to the weather, the times and circumstances.  How well we do this translates into the drama, the tragedies and triumph of our lives.