Everyone in the neighborhood spent their summers, sun up to sun down, running around outside. When school started, we dumped our books by the front door and head right back outside.
At the time, we were "playing". As an adult, I look back and think that most of our games included running. We played tag; we ran races; we played football; we played baseball.I look at adults around me and realize that running is now something we have to do. I know it wasn't always this way. Who wouldn't choose to go play?
When did this change take place? I think back to my own childhood, and I think about PE class and the threatening gym teacher yelling at us that we would have to run if we didn't behave.
We would HAVE to run? At the time, we were kids. Running was a part of life. But, I also think this is where the indoctrination started. We were growing up. We were supposed to act like adults, and that meant running is a punishment.As the years went on, this message is repeatedly pushed into our subconscious. What used to be play is now hard work, punishment. We watch our own kids out the window, dreaming of when we had that kind of energy, where we could just go all day.
Which means that we missed out on the simple fact that if we had just kept running, we could go all day.
Here's the catch....
It's not too late.
You can run for fun.
You can run for play.
You just need to run.
Don't worry about how fast you go.
Don't worry about how far you go.
When people stare at you from behind their curtains, they aren't laughing at you.
They are wondering if they could do it too.
They need inspiration.
YOU are their inspiration.
Go play.