Time at Scale

I ran this morning before the sun was up through the wet morning dew and fog towards Ponce City Market along the Beltline. Along the way I passed other joggers, dog walkers, and bicyclists. We all decided to get up, lace up our shoes (one guy was running shoe-less. good on you dude!) and get outside. We made time to do this thing even if our motives were different. Lose weight, get some exercise, prep for a race, get the dog to poop, chat with a friend, or just to feel better about how we look naked. I can identify with ALL but one of these, I’ve never had to lose weight…I’ve always been in the other camp trying to gain weight and not look skinny because coaches, agents, or the culture is pressuring me to do so in order to “be better”. I digress…back to time at scale. We made time and took efforts to get outside and do this running, walking, biking thing. We could have slept in or let life add unwanted activities to our morning agenda. Instead we chose the time to make it happen.

Choosing time sometimes requires that we wait patiently for our turn. Maybe it’s at the checkout isle at the grocery store or at a red light. These are situations where we must use some of our time waiting. We could get angry at this use of time as wasted OR we can redirect our thoughts to other things that benefit us like, taking in the fact that we are here, alive, and have a certain allotment of time to enjoy. During my run, I thought about the age of humanity, the pyramids, the Davis blood line, and the wet pavement squishing under my shoes. I am here benefitting from all the time before me. All time before me created situations that propel me today, hold me patient, and open space for me to attempt new things in life. The crazy attempts made by humans hundreds and thousands of years ago flow through me and power me to do the same.

Without a trial, there will be no result. Seeing a bigger picture, time at a larger scale helps me understand my purpose here today and all days. I am here to try, mess up, apologize, triumph sometimes, support others, and do the impossible. My only hurdles are discomfort and the untried.

More running.

More trials.

More joy.