It's been a whirlwind of a year thus far, and last month blew by (literally, I was sick for over a week!). My Yoga teacher, Dorothy O., reminds us that in our practice, we should focus on the here and now. Practice being present. Well, this has been quite a feat, let me just tell you. I come from a long-line of planners (hell, my grandmother kept a daily diary, for over twenty years, of her families happenings, of which there were nine members!) They do say practice makes perfect though, and with each Yoga session, I feel I have a better understanding of the present and how to root myself in it. And then I start thinking about the week ahead...
When flipping through my planner to glance at all of February's doings, it looks as though I was deeply rooted into the present and hurtling towards the future, with bright markers on the dates to prove it. It's almost as if I've tried to propel myself forward as fast as I could, to soak up as much as I could. I made a comment one afternoon, on one of me and my buddy's carpool discussions, "I feel like I'm running out of time..." He answered, quite bluntly, "You are."
Countdowns seem to be a theme, as I recently threw one of my best girlfriends a surprise engagement party. Having never before planned a surprise party, I was quite giddy with excitement! Only 5 months away from her big W day, I thought it would be quite fitting to gather with friends before nuptials are exchanged. With help from my girl Natalie, we pulled off the surprise party, with no one spilling the beans. The seconds flew by, the happy couple was thrilled and their day draws closer still...
In between and after the surprise, training days have been at the forefront of my mind as Broad Street draws close. Having several people reach out to lend useful tips, training schedules and running do's & don'ts, making the actual date seem quite real. 10 miles are coming along slowly, but surely, and I'm getting quite excited for May 1st, which is just around the corner...
And then, the Circus came to town, in every way the circus can come to town. Clowns, zebras, flashing lights, too much junk, loud noise, diversion tactics, acts of bravery, OOOOOs and AAAHHHS, gasps from the crowd, outrageous stunts, incredible balancing acts...oh, the Circus came to town all right, and I was glad to see them go! As much as I like a big show, I don't live under the big top and don't plan to, although I contemplated it that night. How easy would it be to run away and join? Together with the other freaks, moving from one town to the next, entertaining for a few hours before you move on? Kids seem to be in awe of this huge display and Brad's nephew, was no different. Time stood still that night, while we were all locked in, watching the greatest show on Earth...
And then, the last weekend in February, where time seemed to rewind and freeze for a night. Several girls, with years of memories stored between them, gathered together, in a little town called Brooklyn, to celebrate one of their own, finding her own. Past, present and future puddled together to create a timelessness felt only with those who knew you when. We may have been in a new neighborhood, but days of old were right beside us. I hadn't forgotten how much I had in my past, but it was nice to remember it for a night, with people who helped me live.
That's how I've lived the past few weeks. As if I was running out of time and it wasn't going to outrun me. Juggling the present, planning for the future and revisiting the past, all in a few weeks time. Practicing the present will be an ongoing exercise, but I'm training for Broad Street, damnit. Time's got nothing on me.
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