The joy of cheering on strangers
Oh hey, Blue Mala Members! Our June classes are now posted, so you can sign up for yoga, meditation, and office hours. Join me live, or catch the classes on-demand. I’ll see you there.
Hi Friends,
I live in a town of runners. Everyone runs.
We have the Women’s Four Miler, the Charlottesville 10 Miler, Charlottesville Marathon, Run for Life 5K, Run to Remember, Virginia Brewery Running Series, Turkey Trots, Santa Fun Runs — the list is endless.
But I do not run. I am not a runner.
I did a couple of runs for a breast cancer charity, but that was when my knees were more springy and I was mostly just excited by the piles of free bagels at the finish line.
So while running is not my thing, I do participate in my own way:
I cry at them.
This time of year, my Saturday morning family walk often coincides with a running route. And every time I come upon a run in progress, I absolutely lose it.
There is something about watching people doing something challenging, and having tons of people on the sidelines holding signs and cheering on strangers and jumping up and down telling the runners how strong and amazing and brave they are.
The people running seem energized by the support. They feel the love. They smile broadly or they look at the ground, slightly embarrassed by the attention. But they pick up their pace. They keep going. They keep putting one foot in front of the other.
It absolutely destroys me.
(I’m crying just writing about it.)
I watch it all with tears streaming down my face and I just hope that we don’t see any friends who will worry and ask if I’m ok and I’ll have to explain that cheering makes me cry.
We are all running our own marathons -- all the time. We're all moving through our lives with aching feet and stiff backs, sweating and exhausted and wondering where the finish line is and if there will still be any bagels left by the time we get there.
As much as possible, I want to be one of those people standing on the side of the running route, with a giant neon sign, loudly cheering everyone else on.
Because we all need that.
Here’s what else happened this week:
What I read
Summer Catch by Coleman Bigelow. Coleman has been a friend of mine for years, and I adore his short fiction. You can see his other published works here.
What else I read
Losing My Ambition By Amil Niazi
“…many of us are no longer willing to trade our well-being for a chance to claw at the decaying American Dream.”
What I watched
Jerrod Carmichael - Rothanial. This is billed as a comedy special, but many parts of it felt like watching a therapy session of someone who just happened to be funny. (I say this as a positive.) It was authentic, unflinching, and kind of awkward and uncomfortable.
What I am doing this weekend
Bans off our Bodies protests will be happening across the nation. I’ll be there.
What helps
The beautiful illustrations and animations of Charlie Mackesy. If you’re not familiar with his book The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse - check it out for massive doses of joy straight to the heart. Mackesy's Instagram feed is a salve.
Next week will be my first trip ever to West Virginia! I’m going to be speaking at a Behavioral Health Provider’s Conference - giving a presentation about burnout prevention. I’m really excited to nerd out about mental wellness.
Take good care of yourselves, friends. Never forget that I’m there, holding up a big sign covered in glitter, cheering you on.
While crying.
Much love,
~Lisa