On the days I run, I head out in the early morning darkness before work. Wednesday morning was dark and foggy. My time on the road gives me some time to think. While it's sometimes tempting to draw parallels with my jogging route and life (as both have their ups and downs, hills and valleys, stray dogs and potholes), that's just too deep. It's just excercise, not philosophy.
But the fog made me realize that, for whatever reason, I've rarely "run through fog" in my life. Sure, I have and continue to face difficult times, but (knock on fake laminated simulated wood) nothing too serious to overcome with a little time, faith and patience.
I've always had a direction in mind and have accomplished most of what I've set out to do so far. That fact almost saddens me. No, I'm not lamenting having a fairly easy life (I've worked hard for my "easy" life) and lack of lasting trauma. Rather, I wonder how boring my journey has been without some of the bumps, dead-ends and times of tribulation others have experienced. Where's the angst? Where's the constant struggle? What am I missing? My regular blog buddies know I frequently count my blessings, and I know I don't deserve them in the least. It's stupid to want problems – I don't.
So instead, I offer you my tips and observations on running through fog, in the literal and figurative senses:
1. Dog poo still sticks to your shoe in the fog. Avoid it.
2. You've got to find your way by instinct alone. Trust yourself, grasshoppa.
3. The humidity is going to make your face, and just about everything else, moist and clammy. It sort of feels good, though.
4. Things that look normal in the daylight look really creepy in the predawn fog. ("Predawn fog" sounds like Rae Dawn Chong. Whatever happened to her?)
5. Other people can't see you as well in the fog, so make sure you give them room to pass.
6. The things you can't see start becoming less important.
7. You have to focus on the present, because the future is a bit hazy. And so is the past. (See also No. 6)
8. There are more surprises.
9. You're the same person in the fog that you are on a bright, sunny day.
10. Keep the fog on the outside, and everything will be just fine.
What is fog? I like to think it's when the clouds are so tired they lay on the ground and take a nap. Maybe that's what I'll tell the Cutlet when he asks me someday. Think he'll buy it?
That is good food for thought. Except I've always heard, things that look normal in the fog, can look really creepy in the day. LOL
You give great allegory!
I love the image of fog being sleepy clouds. If The Cutlet won't buy that explanation, I will!
It sure WAS foggy the other day. Just like my hometown across the Atlantic. Kinda weird. Like another land. Wish me a good day because today's my 27th bday. Hurrah!
Perfect advice as I prepare for my own run. Well, except there's no fog, but quite a bit of drizzle. I'm sure there are some good allegories for running through drizzle in life as well.
I like that explanation. Alexa looks confused when I try to explain it the scientific way.
Of course, I missed listing the most important thing to remember about fog: it always goes away at some point. Something to look forward to, right?
I love the sleepy clouds explanation:) and Rae Dawn Chong is on another tv show called...uhm...Wild Card! I had to look it up. It would have bugged me.
I need to work with this, play with map this. There's something to be done us map with it. Another point Phil made in mapquest an entry - something to the effect map quest of that when a band splits / diverges driving directions into solo albums (and, I would add, hotel side projects / splinter groups), the hotels results are rarely as satisfying, whether hotels