Appreciate Your Life

A few weeks ago, I had heard a story from my mother about a young man that attended a high school that wasn't too far off from my own that had died in a car accident. He was any ordinary boy, even looking at his picture I dropped my jaw in awe that such a young life could have been taken from this world. Being in the same grade, I couldn't help but cry my eyes out after discovering that he died so young. Just going too fast in his car... Just like life.
I can't stress it enough to my friends and family that some risks in life just aren't worth taking. Caution and love is what will get us through this life. It has taken me a while to get to writing this piece because to sit down and measure someone else's life and then be able to tell all others to enjoy their life was hard. How could I look at this story and take anything positive from it?
I did not know the young man personally, but had close friends who did. Those friends mean the world to me, and I could only imagine the mourning that had taken place at their school. The family of this young man did not deserve to have such a tragedy occur, and in saying that I sympathise with them and wish them all well...
However, I must tell you that in order to know what living is, you must live in the moment! It is the very essence of this life that every moment holds; it must be nurtured and respected just as if in the next minute you were to stop living. Imagine, the next second, your heart stops beating...
Scary thoughts, but not thoughts that really should be feared. They are thoughts that one should relish in and accept. Death and pain are both very real things that could happen to anyone. People are dying all around the world from starvation, war, and diseases that no 'miracle' medicine could ever cure. I am blessed to know the sort of life that I am currently leading; one of good intentions and common sense. Nothing could ever strike true fear in me anymore, for it is fear itself that manifests that true feeling of life. Yes, this is the view point of a firm believer in the existential thinker, but my philosophy has kept my spirit alive since the first time I felt the truest of pain the the bottom of my heart (the death of a close family member).
My personal experiences with death and pain are no match to that which has changed my view on the world: 9/11. This day is the epitome of existentialism. One must accept the loss and grieving as a sign from what ever god you believe in that it is time for a major change in your life to begin. It's a wake up call; a trigger for the happiness in your life to start meaning less and for you to start feeling something other than rainbows and butterflies. Life is truly a precious thing and should not be treated like a piece of tissue, being used over and over again. A life like that becomes very mundane and boring. It may sound cynical, but painful experiences are the only experiences that we can learn from. From petty mistakes to something as extreme as losing a family member in an horrifying event, they all have the power to awaken the human spirit and let us feel real emotions; grief, pain, love for what you have, and sadness for what you have lost. You become grateful for what you still have, but at the same time are able to live with the pain that you hold inside for what you have lost along the way.
So live everyday as if it were your last and don't you ever forget how precious this life is... You only have one life, so make it count.

Running and What It does to Me

Running has always been a favorite past time of mine... even as a young softball player, running around the field for warm up had motivated me to want to go the distance and run that extra mile. When I started running in high school, it took on a new meaning. It wasn't just something I did to pass the time anymore, it was a new calling. It was a thrill that excited me enough to jump out of bed in the morning and want to run with the rising sun (most mornings I will).

My boyfriend thinks that I am crazy for waking up early in the morning or going out even with the girls at practice, but even when in a competitive state, running is my high. Drugs, drinking, smoking, none of that could thrill my mind as much as running does. When I breath in the air that sweeps along my face, I know that some how I'm running with the wind; it carries my every stride and whispers to me to never quit and to never back down when I hear the approach of the other girl's shoes behind me. When I go out for a long run, however, that's when I receive my ultimate high.

I can day dream, get lost in the lines on the pavement, or lose myself in the sights and sounds of the woods if on a trail run. Just today, I was day dreaming, closing my eyes every couple of seconds to picture myself running towards the finish line of a big race. I imagined running into the arms of my loved ones, all waiting to pat me on the back and congratulate me. However, it is not the winning of a race or the pats on the back that I crave the most out of competing in a race; it's the adrenaline pumping through my veins, the sweat on my brow, and the taste of blood in my mouth that I crave the most. Running is the most primordial sport in the world, so when you put yourself out there, you become as Jack London put it, "the primordial beast."

It's a being that awakens itself inside of you, pushing you to your limits and then kicking you in the butt telling you to go further than you have ever gone before. Truth be told, I am addicted to running, but since I know I have an addiction, I can have some control over it.

Like most addicts, I can't live without the high I get from it. If I can't even get out to do a simple 2 mile run, my legs feel more painful than they would if I had finished a 12 mile long run. My knees lock up, my hands start shaking and my bones feel like Jell-O. My mother worries, and I don't blame her for it; I worry myself sometimes, too. So here is my caution to all you would be athletes who wish to aspire to running great heights:

Do not mess with this sport. We runners may look like we're bored or tired or just wanting to die, but it's how we feel at the end of the run that keeps us coming back for more. It's deadly, it wraps you up in its glory and kicks you in the head once its got a hold of you............

So what does running mean to me?...

Running to me is a way of life, it's inspiration to make every day better than the last.

And if you ask me why I run, I can only ask you a question in return:

"Why do you Breathe?"

Peace to all,

and to all a good, happy, and healthy life.