it's not about the end
I wrote about my friend Sid in my first blog entry a few years back. I am lucky to still get to run with him on Sunday mornings. Sid is a veteran runner and marathoner. He is now 84 years old and has a lot of wisdom in his years.
Although his pace has slowed, he still has goals and works towards them. He cares for his wife who has health problems and is active in volunteering, and keeps busy. He competes each year in the senior olympics. He has adjusted his running goals based on his age and pace but he has no plans to give it up. I have learned a lot about living in the moment from him. I have also learned to appreciate elderly folks and what they can teach me.
On Saturday, I ran a 5K with Sid. Sure I could have placed in my age group but I chose to go at his pace. There will, I hope, be other races for me where I can run faster if I want to. I won’t always get to run with Sid though and listen to his stories.
On Saturday, I ran a 5K with Sid. Sure I could have placed in my age group but I chose to go at his pace. There will, I hope, be other races for me where I can run faster if I want to. I won’t always get to run with Sid though and listen to his stories.
It was a wet, snowy day, but Sid was so excited when I picked him up. He didn’t care about the snow. At the start of the race, despite his 84 years, he still had that look of determination and competition on his face. Inside he is still young and wanting to do his best. He finished third in his age group.
Sid often recites poetry that he had to learn as a kid. The one below is one of his favorites. It has become one of mine also, and it is a reminder, to let go of the past and to not look too far ahead. Our lives should be about the journey – not the destination because that is a moving target. If we keep on looking towards the end, whether it is a marathon or just our own lives, we won't enjoy the stuff along the way. That's why I run with Sid on Sundays when I could sleep in. He reminds me to slow down and just enjoy being out there. Here's his poem.
The Station
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the window we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, or city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering – waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
“When we reach the station, that will be it!”, we cry. “When I’m 18.” “When I buy a new SL Mercedes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.” “When I have paid off the mortgage!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”
Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish in the moment” is a good motto especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
Robert Hastings
Sid often recites poetry that he had to learn as a kid. The one below is one of his favorites. It has become one of mine also, and it is a reminder, to let go of the past and to not look too far ahead. Our lives should be about the journey – not the destination because that is a moving target. If we keep on looking towards the end, whether it is a marathon or just our own lives, we won't enjoy the stuff along the way. That's why I run with Sid on Sundays when I could sleep in. He reminds me to slow down and just enjoy being out there. Here's his poem.
The Station
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the window we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, or city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering – waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
“When we reach the station, that will be it!”, we cry. “When I’m 18.” “When I buy a new SL Mercedes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.” “When I have paid off the mortgage!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”
Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish in the moment” is a good motto especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
Robert Hastings
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