I listen every week, via RSS feed a program on NPR that airs every monday. It is called "This I Believe". You may remember it from a previous post. This program never stops inspiring me, and it always pushes my thoughts to the frontier of beliefs and peps me up to write sometime. I'm going to try every Monday night to free-write about a belief, just to see what develops. Maybe I'll figure out something new, maybe it will be crummy. In any case, it's straight from the hip; a few moments thought and then pouring my soul out. Let's give it a try.

PS- I like updating the blog everyday, I wish I could do this all day.


10:35 PM - The thinking begins.

10:35 - Here we go.

Exercising is something I feel strongly about, and feel compelled to do, but certain kinds of exercise seem more valuable than others. I believe in running in the rain, I never miss an opportuntiy-I just did it today.
Running in the rain is always an adventure. The slosh-around-squeaky-sock-action comes after you step into your first puddle, there's plenty of head shaking to spray water from clumped together strands of hair, and probably best of all there's always gawkers. Always gawkers. I espeically like it when drivers of shiny black cars (that probably are not of optimal gasoline effieciency) have that look of pure shock of seeing someone actually outside during a downpour.
I love that running in the rain is challenging. Water drips from clothing, weighing you down and making you push harder. Breath on the way in is a little bit colder and harder to come by, after awhile your ears are bound to hurt-the best part is the rain makes you push harder. I never try as hard as when I'm drenched in cloud juice...running in the rain builds character.
But, let me tell you why I really like it. It's kind of...well, personal.
I feel infinite when I run in the rain. I feel like I'm a part of the earth, like a continuous flowing piece of energy constantly moving my legs, arms, and heart with water blurring the lines between where my limbs and the earth begin. The experience makes me feel like I'm part of a greater whole. Running in the rain is like infinity.
My thoughts drop and drip just like the water, cleaning away confusion just like the windows of very tall buildings being washed by the storm. I feel like I'm free to love, and laugh, smile, and imagine. I understand things a little bit better, like why people die, and why love is powerful, and the allure of thinking for the sake of advancing the wit and knowledge and capacity of people. Not to mention, the chance of kissing in the rain (of course it depends on how much you care about your running companion)
In a world of success, corruption, intensity, duty, and routine running in the rain helps me reclaim my humanity. It's a progression--not regression--to a more natural state, even if I am wearing Nike shoes. The feeling is raw, and robust, and vivid...it's like biting into a wonderful while barefoot in an orchard...it's getting back to how humans have lived for millenia.
Running in the rain. Try it once and you'll never let the opportunity pass you by again.

-Close, 10:52 PM-