Simple Satisfaction

Ready, Set, Greenlight!

Alright, alright. Ready, Set, GO!

It's how we used to trick our opponents into a false start. As they jerk forward on the wrong word, they have to turn back to the starting line. Their conscience won't let them win with a jump start. It wouldn't be fair. As they struggle how to make up their extra steps, you then spit out the word go along with that extra advantage: two steps.

My dad used to have this trick to prevent these cheating moment. To always make the race fair, we would grasp our hands and lean in opposite directions. We were not allowed to begin the race until our hands had been "cut" with a karate chop hand motion. Then we were off. Never turning back.

As we made our way in opposite directions, we sprinted around the perimeter of the large house and back to the exact place we had started. Whoever crossed that line first, won. They had the ultimate bragging rights. They were on top. They were the one to beat.

Running was simple then. It was full of grass stains, dirty feet, the hydration center was the backyard hose and the only head lamp I had were the lightning bugs dancing in the dark.

I ran barefoot through the long grass. Grass stains and dirty feet were forgotten until the end of the night. I ran across the spurt of hot asphalt, the jagged rocks from our landscaping and then down the small downhill for the advantage. The elements did not matter. There wasn't time to think about pain. It was the wind in my hair and the hot sun in my face that made it worth it. Oh, and of course the look on my brother's red face as he turned the last corner to see me standing at the finish line. Waiting.

The neighborhood kids soon caught on to what my family was doing. The stepped away from their video games and air-conditioned homes to see what all the commotion was about. They were curious about the children that bolted from the back of their house, only to return around the opposite corner. Were they being chased? Who was cheering? We became an attraction. We had the ultimate competition. Who could beat who? Reputations were made, egos were broken.

It is hard to go back to the simplicity of running. Take your shoes to that old dirt trail, to your childhood memories, to the place where there was no need for headphones. Run through those puddles, soak your socks, and don't complain. There is no pain here.

Ready, set....GREENLIGHT!

Gotcha.