flying

There are moments in time when we are ageless...pure joy that isn't tied to your place and time in this world. The kind of physical fun you have when it doesn't matter how old you are, how achy your bones may be, or how you may appear to others.  I'll admit, sometimes those moments are alcohol-induced...you know, when doing the limbo at a party seems like a good idea. ("I don't know why my back is killing me...must have slept on it wrong.") Other times it's just going with the crowd for fun...spontaneous baseball game even though I haven't thrown a baseball in forever? Sure.  I'll worry about that arm pain tomorrow.  And sometimes it's just perfect fun... being like a kid again, without consequences.

I had one of those moments today.

I got new running shoes.  They've been sitting in the box, taunting me every time I walked by the box.  Anticipation building...couldn't wait to try them out.  Every day there was a reason I couldn't run.  Then it struck me.  Wait a minute...I can CHOOSE to run!  So I canceled my plans, laced up, and headed out.  Within about a minute I was a kid again.  Running in the summer with a gang of friends...no real reason, just because we could.  Why walk when you can run?  Hot as hell, but running full tilt downhill...feeling like you're flying.  The new shoes gave me a spring in my step that lifted my heart.  I felt that perfect combination of smooth strides and speed.  No pain, no discomfort, just...going.  Skimming the surface... barely touching down.  I was completely immersed in the moment, yet I was consciously trying to appreciate it too.  You never know when you're going to get another moment like that...and you can't plan it.

I've often said it's difficult to experience a moment and document it at the same time.  It's one of the reasons I'm horrible at taking pictures.  By the time I realize I should capture the moment, it's passed.  So I'm documenting it now.  Unfortunately, my writing skill is completely inadequate to fully describe the feeling, but I'm hoping writing it down will remind me of the sensation .  The pure joy.  Ultimate freedom...Flying.