on the iPod: "if I only had a brain" -- ray bolger
There are some things that I know relatively well after 39 years of life. For instance, I know how to paddle a canoe. I know how to keep 30 high school students under some semblance of control. I know that the skillet has to be really hot to fry okra. I know how to get to Destin without a map. I know how important it is to be honest about everything.
A lot of things that I know i've learned from the people that have shown me love. From my grandmother, I know all of the old John Wesley arrangements in the Methodist hymnal. From my dad, I know how to mow a yard. From my good friend Mrs. Murie, I know that a clean car is overrated. From my colleague Mrs. Pugh, I know that European History is nothing more than episode after episode of tawdry, uncouth behavior of kings. From my mom, I know unconditional love. And from my sister, I know that nothing is more important than right now.
It's very difficult sometimes to think about right now, because so much energy gets spent on what has already happened and what might be coming next. But what has happened is over and will never come back, and what might be next is just as unpredictable as the spring weather in Arkansas. What we have is right now.
One of my favorite races of the year is the Root Rocket Run. It's a great little 5K in the heart of Fayetteville and it raises money for one of the local schools, which makes it even better. The vibe of the race is pure Fayetteville Funky -- locals hanging out in their Chacos with a cup of coffee in hand and a frisbee dog that may or may not be on a leash. Somehow the weather always seems to be perfect. This year didn't disappoint. I wanted to get in additional mileage, so I started from the Old Missouri Road trail head and ran to the race. The event was in full swing when I got there and I was soon talking and laughing with countless friends -- Ken Abney, Jeri Martin Hill and her family, Chris Ezell, Beth Hall, Catherine and Michael Baker, Brad Booth, Paul and Jana Heck, and tons of local runners. But I was most excited to see my own family ready to run -- Cynthia, Susan, Avery and Charles Carey. They were all wearing their shirts and excited to be participating. I'm used to seeing them at races but not running, so that was a lot of fun and I was proud of every one of them.
The Root Rocket is a deceptively difficult course because the entire route is rolling hills, with a small portion of it on a banked slope. Not fun. But its a great run nonetheless and I have a blast every year. It also always has a really good race shirt, too, which is a seemingly incidental detail that can make or break an event. Running back to the trail head was like icing on the cake. The weather was perfect and my legs still felt good, so I took my time and didn't push the pace, seeing no reason to go hard and not really wanting to stop anyway. Like so many other times, it was simply about running.
Last night was Jay and Jamie Huneycutt's annual spring party. This was the first time i'd been and Jamie told me that it was the 17th year in a row for them to have a party on the weekend of University graduation. We had a blast. I've known Jamie for a few years now through running, but we really became fast friends this time last year when we road tripped with Mrs. Murie to the Nashville Marathon. It was somewhat of a leap of faith because at the time the three of us had never spent more than a few hours together, but it was the beginning of a great friendship amongst the three of us.
I don't know what the highlight of the party was for me because it could have been any number of things: Jay's homebrewed lager, their amazing backyard and trail, the really good potluck food, the great spring night, the bonfire, or the people. Whichever it is, the party was phenomenal and I hope I get to make it every year from now on.
Right now things couldn't be better. I'm half way through a graduate program at the University, my AP Psychology students are getting ready to graduate, summer is only weeks away, i've finished two marathons so far in 2013, and i'm surrounded by people that show me great love every single day. On top of it all, there's running. It doesn't matter what happened in the past, or what will happen tomorrow. What matters is right now.
Run.
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