Running can teach you many things. At the very least, it can remind you of something you already knew but might have forgotten, an idea or a little tidbit of life philosophy that gets buried beneath the stress and strain of daily life.
I’m currently staying in a small, country town called Kennett Square while rehearsing for a production of “Spamalot” at The Media Theatre in Media, PA.
The area around where I’m staying is some beautiful countryside, with some pretty tight, two-lane roads. There are plenty of hills, gorgeous views, and the occasional farm animal like my new friend in the pic below.
It initially took some time with the map but I figured out this really nice 3-mile run that I could also extend to a 5-miler with a simple turn off. Yesterday morning I set out on the 5-mile course but got only a mile and a half in when I came upon the road closing. The workers were paving the road. I could either turn around and head back to the house or turn left where I would normally head straight on.
I was a little nervous about the turn into the “unknown” as it were, but I figured, Hey, let’s do a little exploring!
My phone (which my wife will never let me run without, bless her) has a nice map system, but I wasn’t sure how far this new route would take me. As I made my way along the unfamiliar roads, I was reminded of how running can be a sort of microcosm of my life.
When I got to the roadblock, I had the choice to turn back or go on. After I made the choice to go on, I had the choice to get upset about it and maybe even panic, or I could enjoy the new route and take in all of the beauty that I never expected to see.
I love my job. I’ve been blessed and very fortunate to do what I love and squeak out a modest living. Sometimes, though, things happen that go in the direct opposite direction of the one I had planned. This happens to everyone in one way or another, I know. It’s just that yesterday was one of those days when that lesson got very real.
I am so grateful to have been surrounded by such a wonderful group of people. How co-workers react to difficult situations can make for a beautifully uplifting experience or an absolute hell.
Yesterday, on the whole, I witnessed the best of what people can be: compassionate, caring, uplifting, and loving. I was reminded that I always have a choice about my attitude and, most times, that’s the only choice I’m going to get.
In a world where we’re under the terrible illusion that we can have certainty and security about anything in our lives, one thing I know for sure: how I treat other people is entirely up to me. In every moment, in every encounter, I choose, in a split second, to act in a way that uplifts the other or feeds my own ego.
I have never found that doing the latter has ever done anything for me.
All I know is, I want to surround myself with the type of people who remind me daily that loving somebody is never a waste.
Thank you, my fellow cast mates and crew members. You reminded me that taking the road less traveled can lead to some beautiful scenery!
THE SCOTT LANGDON PROJECT 