I loved cross country, (or, “track”, as Americans call it I think) and I still do. I loved it so much I would either win my races or come in a reasonable position from first. Not bragging, but I was the best.
I ADORED how you could just take yourself away from the world for a bit even though your body was screaming for you to stop because, pizza. But I lived for the challenge.
Anyway this is not about that.
This is about actually running in cross country… so it IS about that now that I think of it… hm.
We were given an hour or more before the next class to do as many laps around the pitch as we could.
Most times I would run alone, I would be overlapped, I would shoot passed people, or if it was a hot day, I would walk and then sometimes my friends would catch up to me. During this time, we all knew we had records to beat. But we were all tired, so we would walk, laugh and just talk really. Some people on their 5th lap, others on their 10th, either way we had a great time. But eventually after we all caught our breath, someone would say “I am going to start running again”, and they would take off, and you had no choice but to let them. Then you would be running/ walking on your own again.
My sister is younger than me, but society does not see the little kid I see. So she has to do stuff and become somebody. It is her turn to do life and figure it out now because she is grown up. I will not lie, I had a feeling of dread and loss loom over me when she started applying for university (don’t tell her).
After running my race with someone I have lived with all my life, it was no surprise that she would have to start running alone now and finish off what she has started.
The words:
“I’m getting married!”,
“I got the job!”
Or “I got accepted!”
In any setting be-it from friends or family are all reasons for celebration. Until you notice that that person will not be there anymore. You have journeyed with them for as long as they were meant to, now they need to pick up the pace, or you have to pick up yours. Either way… you are leaving people behind, or you are being left behind.
Yes, indeed you’ll miss them, but there are races to be ran as soon as we are put on this earth and nobody can run your race.
Your path and journey requires a person justtt like you to take breaks when all else fails and to speed up when things are smooth. These breaks are not timed the same with every person in the world in most cases. You will bump into people along the way, you may even walk with them for a bit, but you have to acknowledge the fact that you all have a race to win and record to beat.
Your podium is set, and it is almost time for Geo (Geography) so you need to finish your last lap. It does not mean that those people are out of your life forever, it is the same pitch but different races. You will see them again eventually :-).
So keep going, and cheer your people on as they do too!
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