For the second day in a row I overslept. That's really not like me. If you ask me, it's a function of the fact that I have not had a true day off of work since, as far as I can tell, September 15th. Tomorrow will be my first day away from work in seven weeks, and in those weeks fell the equivalent of this rabbi's tax season- the Jewish New Year and all the various holidays that fall in the weeks leading up and following. So, whether or not I might be tempted to stop by my office tomorrow or do some writing at home, I'll be on my way to Washington DC for a friend's wedding. So the day off is imposed upon me, and then again all the way until Sunday. I anticipate those few days will really help to recharge my batteries and renew my ability to wake up with the morning alarm.
Because I was running 30 minutes late, it turned into a bit of a topsy-turvy morning. I didn't have time to get to the gym, swim, get home, shower and get to work by 7, as I usually do on Wednesdays. So I decided to get my evening run in this morning and push the swim off until tonight. Well, to make things even more backwards for myself, I chose to run a usual 6-mile route in reverse.
No big deal, right? I can hardly express how new those familiar roads became to me when run on the other side of the street and heading in the opposite direction. I saw things I've never before noticed, though I've been along those roads dozens and dozens of times. I ran with my eyes wide open. In fact, it was so new to me that I made a wrong turn. Run in the usual way, I could navigate those roads with my eyes closed. Backwards, I wasn't quite sure where to turn and, as it happened, I turned at the wrong street.
I have become so routined that I sometimes don't see anything at all. Plugged into my iPod, The Rolling Stones' Sympathy for the Devil came on during this morning's training run. You need to know that this song has been on my exercise playlist since high school. By now I know most of the words. It wasn't until today that I finally paid attention and realized what the song was all about. Did you know the song is sung from the devil's perspective? DUH! I just figured that out. Genius...
For some reason I experienced a whole new level of awareness this morning. Maybe it was the extra 1/2 hour of sleep. Hmm....what did I say about sleeping life away yesterday? It made me realize that, though there is indeed a place for routine, sometimes we need a little spontaneity to wake us from sleep walking through life. I felt vibrant this morning. Fully awake. Not at all tired. I felt like a saw the world around me for the first time all over again. Sometimes we need a simple break from the routine to remember what it's all about in the first place.
I think it's time for me to listen to that old playlist all over again and figure out what I've been hearing all these years.
"I met her in a club in Old Soho..."
No comments:
Post a Comment