changing to remain

some things never change.

the old saying is supposed to give us comfort in times of turmoil or stress in our lives. it supposedly points to a constancy in which there are certain things in this world that remain the same, as though sameness were a prized possession. status quo is worth striving after if indeed we believe that some things never change. because after all those things should be the ones that are most time-tested, true to the world around us, and solidly rooted in reality.

however, heraclitus, an ancient greek philosopher stated: "on those who step in the same river, different and different waters flow . . ." the world does indeed change. those things that we presume to be the same are different, changed by time, place, and circumstance. while we may step in the same river by name, the waters we step into are different as they flow around our legs. the water is constantly changing. i wondered with a bit of marvel what an old ranch house had seen in its years set in a field. and i recognized that it had been changed by the years of weather, growth of crops and grass around it, and the changing landscape of roads that rushed me by.

running gives me a sense of the greatest movements of the earth. it is through running that i find my clearest thinking and moments of discernment. the world seems to be more present to me when i run through nature. as i have rekindled my relationship with running i have had a lot of time to think about what changes and what remains the same. my season of life has been tumultuous. my wife and i bought a house, had kids, i am out of a job in may and have been looking for one since the beginning of the year. and yet through all of these things, no matter how stressful, it is as though when i run these things are simply the way in which the world revolves on its axis and draws me closer to rhythms of being human. and most off all it has reminded me of my belief that we are all created to be in relationship with one another.

although our relationships evolve, our longing for companionship and our need for others to support us remains a familiar call. perhaps the saying should read "all things change, our need remains."

it's an old friend

running is like an old friend to me.

i haven't run for about 6 months. you know the birth of twin boys, moving into a new house, the holidays; i have a list of excuses many, many pages long. the truth is i just haven't made the time or effort to run, much less exercise in the past 6 months. and so i ventured out onto the pavement and over grass medians and across sidewalks yesterday to run again for the first time.

running for me is like riding bike. i know the skills and mechanics of the sport really well, so i haven't forgotten how to do it, but there is always a learning curve upon a new beginning with the sport. my legs ached, my lungs burned, and my energy was quick to deplete. i started out at a good clip only to find myself mentally and physically fatiguing very quickly.

but after the run i felt like i had rekindled something important. it was reminiscent of picking up the phone and actually calling that old friend that you have been meaning to talk to and catch up with, or letting go of a misunderstanding between an old friend that has kept you from calling. it smacked of familiarity, and that strange void of knowing that there is more to learn and catch up on.

running is like an old friend to me that is slowly becoming a familiar friend again.