Lake Run

This afternoon I was feeling sluggishly slumpy and surly and sapped. I felt exactly not at all like going running, but I forced myself to go because I couldn't just sit around being morose. So I went on a 2.6-mile run outside, and I am glad I did.

Highlights: what the clouds looked like in the setting sun, bikers zooming by in their crazy biking outfits, people walking their dogs, dragonflies, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and egrets. Lord above, the egrets. I spotted an egret sitting quietly on the edge of the lake when I was having a low moment and thinking about how much I hate running and just wanted to go home and make rice krispie treats, and it was such a serenity-inducing sight that I thought, "I love you, egret. I love all egrets. Thank you for being alive and sitting by the lake."

Then I turned the corner and saw more egrets than I could ever possibly count. They flew in big groups making circles in the sky, and they covered several trees in the water so the leaves weren't even visible. All I could see were egrets. Some slowly stretching out their wings on the branches as if working out the kinks after a long day, and some already with their heads bowed and buried into their necks, seemingly sound asleep. I wished I had my camera so I could show you what that looked like. They were beautiful. If I'd had any breath to spare through my panting and heaving, they'd certainly have taken it away.

As I plodded along, I passed so many other joggers and walkers and bikers, young and old, men and women, in groups and alone, and I wondered what they were thinking about, who they were. I wondered which ones had to drag themselves off of the couch to get out and exercise when they'd really rather be at home watching Reba reruns on Lifetime, which ones were out there because they truly love to work out, which ones were just walking as an excuse to be outside on such a beautiful evening, which ones were training for a triathlon or a race, which ones were having stomach cramps from eating a metric gutload of roasted vegetables in the past 24 hours, and which ones wiped tears from their cheeks today because early this morning their dear friend had a healthy baby girl.