Don’t ever walk the bridges….

I have this thing I do when I’m on a run– I always, always walk the bridges.  No matter where in the run they “hit”- whether it’s time for a break or not;  no matter what/no matter when- I always walk the bridges, always have.  Friends I’ve run with even tend to make fun of me for this nonsensical running habit of mine.

I have no idea why I walk the bridges.  It’s not based in logic, this random break in my runs- it’s really for no reason at all.   Simply, it’s because I’m taking the easy way out and being just plain lazy.  It’s really that simple.  For some unknown reason, my brain tells me that the bridges don’t really “count” and therefore,  I don’t hold it against myself for holding back, for resting when I don’t really need a rest.

I was thinking about this during my long run today (yes, you’ve guessed it- I was walking a bridge)…..  And ya know what, it’s more than just “taking the easy way out”.  It’s about not pushing myself, not challenging myself.   I came to the conclusion that walking the bridges presents an interesting analogy to taking the back seat in life; not seeking out new challenges; being afraid, for whatever reason, to push yourself and to live life to the fullest.  In my somewhat stretch of an analogy, the bridge represents self-doubt.

I then got to thinking about one of my best friends whose father passed away this weekend.  I’ve been struggling to come up with the “right” words to say to my friend after such a horrible loss.  {On a side-note, It’s funny, I’m paranoid that people expect me to know exactly what to say, since I’ve been through the loss of my parents.  On the contrary, I never know what to say because all I can remember is how nothing anyone said to me really made a difference at the time. There are no words….  Only the passing of time and the support of family and friends can get you through}. But today, during my whole “walking the bridge” running-reverie, I think I came up with something.  Ya see, even though I never met his father, I know from stories, and from reading posts about him on my friend’s Facebook page, that he was an amazing man who inspired a lot of people to live their dreams  (he was the high school principle).  And, he raised a son who, among other things, inspires others to challenge themselves and live their dreams; to have the courage it takes to never ever take the back seat in life.   I know my friend is passing this valuable life-lesson down to his children.  What an amazing man his father must’ve been to instill this notion of self-worth, courage and confidence in future generations.  Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Which got me thinking about the 1st entry I made to Luci’s baby book…on Day 3 of life.  I haven’t read it since the day I wrote it, but today on my run, I remembered that it touched on some of the same ideas.  At major risk of being completely embarrassed by the total cheeseball-ness of it all (remember, post-pregnancy hormones could be to blame here), I’m going to copy it here for all to read:

Our Wishes for You- August 7, 2008

Luci,

Your Dad and I hope to provide you with every opportunity for happiness.  We want you to grow up truly happy, living life to its fullest.  Travel!!  Learn about other cultures!  Be open-minded and accepting of people from all walks of life.  Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to follow your dreams.  Be yourself and have confidence in yourself.  Be respectful of others’ opinions but don’t be afraid to voice your own.  Be strong and be resilient- life isn’t always easy.  Be thankful for what you have and help others when you can.  Believe in yourself and never let anyone take you for granted.  Don’t waste time worrying; the little things don’t matter in the long-run.  Make good friends and keep them.  Enjoy good music, make life fun and keep a good sense of humor.  Be able to laugh at yourself and don’t take yourself too seriously–be silly and smile often.  And above all else, be kind.  We are so happy that you’re here and can’t wait to watch you grow up!  What a fun journey it’s going to be.  We love you!  Love, Mom and Dad

So, to sum it all up, my little Luci:  Lesson #2:  Don’t ever walk the bridges.  Run.  Run just as fast as you can.

And, so you know, today, I walked my very last bridge.