Minutes to Memories

107 days ago, I pledged to begin exercising again, and for proof that the age of miracles still exists, I am still keeping my pledge.

Admittedly, I’ve modified the practice a bit over that time period. Now, after listening to my jogging friends and my aging knees, I do my running three days a week. But I’ll quickly add that last week I reached my original goal of two miles each time I hit the road!

A secret to my success this time around involves timing. I’ve NEVER been a “first thing in the morning” athlete, and though exercising late at night sounds good in theory, it never worked out for me in practice. It was just so easy after a long day to talk myself out of it and go to bed. But getting up early, doing a little work, etcetera, then exercising after being up about an hour has worked out well for me. And I’m happy.

This morning, however, was a challenge. My wife switched hours with a friend at work, so I needed to take Hillary to school. Plus, my first court date as a CASA volunteer was this morning in Pascagoula, so I realized last evening that, if I would exercise today, it would be one of those “first thing in the morning” deals. And I hate those deals.

But I did it. I got up at 5:30am, ate a quick bowl of cereal, got dressed, and hit the road at 6am.

It is DARK at 6am around here!!! Nothing but dark skies, scattered stars, and a bright moon. And me.

And kids!!!

Sheesh, there were high school kids lining up at the bus stop at 6:07am today! In the stinkin’ dark!

After seeing the first gathering of kids, I continued my run, and soon was lost in thought. Thoughts like, “Why does my breathing pattern sound like I’m a heavy smoker?” Thoughts like that… And then, out of nowhere, like a scene out of an October Halloween movie, I passed by another couple of teenagers lined up in the dark for the school bus, looking like zombies with their floppy hair covering their eyes, silent in the early darkness.

It was pretty freaky.

I have a feeling I’d look like a zombie if I had to line up for a school bus in the dark, too, but still, I’d appreciate a warning or something.