Mom is in a cleaning kick. In the last week my old bedroom that has not been touched in the nearly decade since I went off to college, is the sudden object of her obsession. Yesterday I walked into my apartment to find eight massive black garbage bags filled with my childhood possessions lined up in my kitchen. I contemplated changing my lock, but remembered that she feeds my cats when I am out of town and leaves me yummy treats as surprises and decided to just let it go.
While I spend the better part of the evening emptying out bags to clear a path to my refrigerator (note to self -- highly effective diet plan) I also came across several treasures. One of which was in the same frame I was presented during my senior year of high school.
It was a collage of photos the underclassmen collected over the season and presented at our awards banquet. They had a hard time finding photos of me because I am a tad camera shy, especially when you throw me into one of our skimpy high school running uniform. As a result, most were just random left over shots. The one "good photo" is the goof ball one in the middle that we took at a regional meet on a golf course.
But I love it nonetheless. It reminds me of so many memories, the pain after hard practices, the joy improving over the course of the season. The feeling of belonging.
Running brought together a group of teenagers who most likely would not have come together in any other instance. With a graduating class of roughly 500 students, and a school with about 2000, the odds of this group coming together is nearly unimaginable.
This morning I am going to challenge myself to be even better than that young woman in those photographs. 12 miles scheduled, and it is going to be a chilly morning. Last week we were reaching into the 90's and now it is going to feel like the low 40's when I start me run tomorrow morning.
Looks like I am going to be digging out the underarmour tonight. Love me some Midwest cool runnin'!
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