A Precarious Love Affair

The feel of your feet hitting asphalt. The seemingly endless road ahead of you, taunting you to give up. So why do I come back? More so, why do I do it several times a week? A friend once asked me, "Ano ba ang nakukuha mo diyan?" Oo nga naman. Ano nga ba ang nakukuha ko sa pagtatakbo? I mean, it's just me and the road. There's no scoreboard telling you you've won. There are no team mates to pat you in the back, or do a high five for a three-pointer. Me. Road. That's it. It's a personal thing. It's my moment of solitude. It's where I experience joy. I haven't won any of the races... as far as placing first, that is. I don't have a personal trainer or a coach urging me to improve my split times (or maybe I should).


It's simply the sheer joy of knowing I have conquered myself. 

of Life and Driving

You know the line that says that life is a journey? I feel more strongly about it the other way around - that the journeys you take mimic life. These musings usually hit me whenever I would take the long drives out of town. It is possible to drive all the way from point A to point B without having to stop for a smoke or a piss (or worse, a dump) and it will be all be just fine. You get to where you wanna be in less time and less hassle. Who wouldn't want that right?

However, when you do stop (especially) at spots you haven't been to before, for a few minutes of your "precious" time you get to see the locals converge - how they go about their business or kick back and enjoy a bottle of beer. If you're lucky, you get to sample local delicacies and get a sneak peek at the history of the town.

Journeys like that remind me about life. It may be possible for me to get to where I want to be without taking my mind off the goal, that setbacks are a complete waste of my time and there's no point in brooding over them. I can be the guy who gets the most work done in the least amount of time. Congratulations Mr. Fantastic. But where is the fun in that?

I look back at the moments in  my life when everything went along as planned - products of careful execution I suppose. The only problem is that I would be the only one to enjoy it. Curiously, it was in the moments that have forced me to stop and take a step back that I have learned a lot of things that have also affected who I am today. It was also in these times that I have developed the deepest of friendships and the fondest of memories. 


So the next time life throws something at you, don't just brush it aside. Look at it for what it's worth and you might find what you thought was just a rock is actually a gem.