Notes
I decided to go running right as mama's writing group was supposed to come to our house. I wasn't in the mood to socialize, and I dreaded the prospect of coming up with smart witty comments, so I decided to run instead. I left the house right at 7:30, and headed to chimborazo park via the alley streets. Dodging trashcans, I ran on the gravel street, careful to look out for a stray dog eating someone's trash. I embraced the dark night, illuminated with the speckle of twinkling lights, almost like a world-sized Christmas tree. Weaving through the loft apartments of Shockoe bottom, I imagined myself running in New York city, avoiding the ubers and taxi cabs and running under the warm streetlights. Of course, I wanted to cross over the James, so again I ran over the new Pedestrian bridge at a quick pace. A bundled up kid walking with his mother said to me in passing, "Wow, he must be cold!" At that point, I knew I was running well under a 7 minute pace, and I felt relaxed and poised to keep that pace (or pick it up). The city was magnificent tonight, all the skyscrapers have an outline of lights, which make the city glow with the spirit of the holidays. Once I climbed over the flood wall and the view of the city disappeared, masked by the graffitied cement wall, similar to the Berlin Wall, that is on the Western side. That was a bit precarious because the darkness engulfed me, and my imagination flared up. A robber was just on the other side of that fence ready to attack, but I ran with my fists clenched, and I struck the air in preparation. Beautiful and calming. I arrived back home in time to eat some of the writing groups food without having to intermingle with everyone. I'm tired, but smiling and ready to read.