Tune Into Yourself

I originally posted this March 21, 2009 as a note on Facebook. I received some interesting feedback from it, so I thought it might be worth sharing again.

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There's nothing wrong with wearing headphones while running. I used to when I first started back, but I haven't in quite some time now. Those that do wear them talk about how bored they get and that they need them. I've come to appreciate being alone in my head and the random thoughts that come with that.

I ran about 50 minutes today and thought about or observed this stuff.

1. I don't know why, but I just started thinking about all the grandparents I've lost during my lifetime. I remembered each of them in chronological order of when they died, reminiscing about some my experiences with them.

2. I was running past a car that had a big spoiler on the back. For some reason it resembled a handle to me and I thought about how a giant could pick it up. The giant thing made me think about the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk. Then I started wondering about the origins of the fairytale and what it might be rooted in. A quick wiki search when I got home turned this up: "The beanstalk is reminiscent of the ancient English belief in a World tree connecting earth to heaven."

3. I thought briefly about the R3 meeting I didn't attend yesterday and the decision to host it at Hooters.

4. I encountered a driver that came to a complete stop to let me squeeze past when there was a a car coming in the opposite direction at the same time. We runners rag on how inconsiderate most drivers are, but every once in a while my faith in humanity is restored with a small act of consideration.

5. I passed a black man pushing his bicycle up a hill that I was running down. What was remarkable about it was that it was a) 70 degrees out, and b) he was dressed in long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sunglasses and a wide-brim hat. I wondered if he had some sort of skin condition that forced him to cover up so extensively when the sun was out. Then I thought of Michael Jackson. Then I stopped thinking of Michael Jackson.

6. I thought of a new (?) invention. A hat or visor with a built-in camera. You could reach up and snap a shot with a button on the brim. I'm guessing someone's already come up with that idea.