One evening this week, during my son’s basketball practice, I walked laps on the high school track while waiting for him to finish. The otherwise monotonous endeavor became interesting once I started noticing things around me. A high school track offers a lot more than unfortunate P.E. class memories.
The Starting Line
Every race has a beginning. Often the hardest part is getting to that line. Resistance is real and we can always find a thousand reasons not to run.
But the anticipation is almost always worse than the reality, and we waste so many hours, days, and years worrying about not being ready. All we really need to do is just take our mark, and go.
Start by starting, said the incomparable Meryl Streep. Run, Meryl, run.
The good news is that with every starting line comes a finish line. And then another starting line after that.
The Lanes
We all have our own assigned numbered lanes, and often crossing those lines causes trouble, sometimes even disqualification.
We aren’t meant to run every inch of the track, zigzagging back and forth, in and out of the lanes that were never ours. The way forward isn’t horizontal, it’s forward.
Share the track. Stay in your lane.
The Hurdles
Races come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Sometimes they come with obstacles.
Hurdling requires precision and practice. The key is to maintain forward momentum, and try to skim over, rather than stop and jump over, the hurdles.
But even elite runners occasionally trip on one and fall. It takes strength to get back up and finish the race. And heart. Especially heart.
The Timer
The clock is moving, even if you aren’t.
Seconds matter. Even half-seconds matter.
The Relay Baton
There are individual races. And there are relay races.
It’s important to know when to pass the baton to someone else. Just when you are out of gas, another runner steps up with fresh legs and a full tank.
Thank goodness for teammates.
The Bleachers
Never forget the stands. Your fans are shouting and jumping and cheering you on. Even if you can’t see them, they’re there.
They’ve been waiting for this race, too. And they’re proud, even before you start, even before the results are posted.
Never forget your moments are bigger than you.
As I headed back to the car to wait for my son, I smiled. That’s a lot of thinking for a few loops around a track.
Really, I just wanted some exercise. But I found some life out there as well.
Like this object-based story telling? My memoir, Piece by Piece: A Life Remembered through Things Lost, is available here. 📖💙
Kim, I love how you find meaning and lessons in ordinary things. It’s a beautiful way of moving through the world. 🩷
Perfect timing as we are at the starting line of a new year of teaching and writing! Thank you for this encouragement to start and finish well 🤍