I started my day way early, getting up at 4 am to fly home from Detroit. On the way back from the airport, I saw a young deer right by the side of the road still on the airport property. That struck me as odd, since it was Port Columbus International and not some rural country airport. It was just chilling there, but it made an impression on me as I drove by.
I go home and muddle through the day, all the while thinking I will get a run in "at some point." Well finally around 7 something PM, I get my ass in gear and head out for the park. Two streets from my house I am driving down the road and this young guy (14-18 yrs old best guess) is walking in the street. I take notice because he is walking erratically and as I get closer he appears to have no shoes. Closer yet and all of a sudden he turns and runs in front of my car, as if trying to get hit. No joke. I hit the brakes and was only going 25 so it was no problem avoiding him, but...DAMN. I just sit there at a stop and we make eye contact...he is OBVIOUSLY distraught over something and in tears. With a forlorn look of angst and confusion he yields the way, and I creep by him. I am immediately thinking of my brother and how he would get this way at times before committing his suicide, and I pull to the curb as I clear the intersection we met near.
It is lightly raining and he has blond hair, a light blue shirt, black sweatpants and no shoes. The moisture creeping down his face is CLEARLY not just rain. I watch in my mirror as he does the same dodge in front of another car (who just drives away) and I take up my phone and call 911. They take the full description and initiate a call with a squad car, keeping me on the line. The kid is walking North and I creep behind about a block and a half away to keep him in sight, but not agitate him that I am watching. He tries to get in front of about 5 more cars before the squad cars arrive and I just turned around at that point and headed to the park. I hope he is OK at this point and not too freaked out he got picked up by the Police. What else could I do?
I reflect on how life affects us all differently and how even though I have felt in turmoil in my personal life, I probably have no idea what this kid has put up with, and what it feels like to be him. My corner of worry and fret really seemed a lot less imposing after seeing him.
At Blacklick Park, the rains had more or less stopped and the air was as fresh as it ever gets. Damp but not soaked, the trails would open up to me as I set out to run two of the two mile woods loops on the east side of the park. During the first, the mp3 was on and life was pretty easy as I snuck up on a pace and enjoyed the smells and sights. Starting the second loop I turned off the mp3 and stowed it, choosing instead to let the birds and such fill my ears. I was in tune, and when the occasional light wind stirred some tree overhead, I was hit from time to time with "reminder rain", the remainder of the rain fall that had stown away on some cupped leaves, waiting for it's moment to careen out of the canopy to grace my head.
The run became a sort of "stride" workout as I kept up a firm pace on the drier gravel and dirt sections, but would give way to caution each time I came upon the wooden planked boardwalks that bridge the swampier areas. The wood still soaked and slippery, these became my recovery sections as I kept the pace down for surer footing.
Bringing the run home, I was thinking on how I was happy with the fact that the young man was finding some help and that I didn't just drive off from him, more worried about my run than his tears. My troubles seemed less in his wake, and as I turned the very last corner before the parking lot would appear in front of me, in the last possible section of wooded trail, there stood a young deer. Startled into stillness for a moment the deer locked eyes with mine before it's primal instincts gained control and it darted a few feet up the trail and bounded into the woods to the side. It's twin had surprised me so many hours ago (12) leaving the airport, now this one was saying goodnight to me as I prepared to leave the park.
Goodnight, deer friend. I hope you rest well, and wake up feeling better tomorrow than you did today.
I go home and muddle through the day, all the while thinking I will get a run in "at some point." Well finally around 7 something PM, I get my ass in gear and head out for the park. Two streets from my house I am driving down the road and this young guy (14-18 yrs old best guess) is walking in the street. I take notice because he is walking erratically and as I get closer he appears to have no shoes. Closer yet and all of a sudden he turns and runs in front of my car, as if trying to get hit. No joke. I hit the brakes and was only going 25 so it was no problem avoiding him, but...DAMN. I just sit there at a stop and we make eye contact...he is OBVIOUSLY distraught over something and in tears. With a forlorn look of angst and confusion he yields the way, and I creep by him. I am immediately thinking of my brother and how he would get this way at times before committing his suicide, and I pull to the curb as I clear the intersection we met near.
It is lightly raining and he has blond hair, a light blue shirt, black sweatpants and no shoes. The moisture creeping down his face is CLEARLY not just rain. I watch in my mirror as he does the same dodge in front of another car (who just drives away) and I take up my phone and call 911. They take the full description and initiate a call with a squad car, keeping me on the line. The kid is walking North and I creep behind about a block and a half away to keep him in sight, but not agitate him that I am watching. He tries to get in front of about 5 more cars before the squad cars arrive and I just turned around at that point and headed to the park. I hope he is OK at this point and not too freaked out he got picked up by the Police. What else could I do?
I reflect on how life affects us all differently and how even though I have felt in turmoil in my personal life, I probably have no idea what this kid has put up with, and what it feels like to be him. My corner of worry and fret really seemed a lot less imposing after seeing him.
At Blacklick Park, the rains had more or less stopped and the air was as fresh as it ever gets. Damp but not soaked, the trails would open up to me as I set out to run two of the two mile woods loops on the east side of the park. During the first, the mp3 was on and life was pretty easy as I snuck up on a pace and enjoyed the smells and sights. Starting the second loop I turned off the mp3 and stowed it, choosing instead to let the birds and such fill my ears. I was in tune, and when the occasional light wind stirred some tree overhead, I was hit from time to time with "reminder rain", the remainder of the rain fall that had stown away on some cupped leaves, waiting for it's moment to careen out of the canopy to grace my head.
The run became a sort of "stride" workout as I kept up a firm pace on the drier gravel and dirt sections, but would give way to caution each time I came upon the wooden planked boardwalks that bridge the swampier areas. The wood still soaked and slippery, these became my recovery sections as I kept the pace down for surer footing.
Bringing the run home, I was thinking on how I was happy with the fact that the young man was finding some help and that I didn't just drive off from him, more worried about my run than his tears. My troubles seemed less in his wake, and as I turned the very last corner before the parking lot would appear in front of me, in the last possible section of wooded trail, there stood a young deer. Startled into stillness for a moment the deer locked eyes with mine before it's primal instincts gained control and it darted a few feet up the trail and bounded into the woods to the side. It's twin had surprised me so many hours ago (12) leaving the airport, now this one was saying goodnight to me as I prepared to leave the park.
Goodnight, deer friend. I hope you rest well, and wake up feeling better tomorrow than you did today.