So after not sleeping well for the second night in a row and waking prior to the strike of four(am) I decided to punish my body for it's defiance and run it to death. Ok maybe not to death but at least give it a stern talking to! So I bundled up and hit the road for my normal three mile loop. About half way through my Ipod buddy called it quits, said"it's too cold, I will see you at the house", and left me with the sound of my breathing and the clunking of my feet. Neither of which are very interesting so I let my mind start to wonder. I suddenly found myself thinking about hills. The World English Dictionary calls them "a conspicuous and often rounded natural elevation of the earth's surface, less high or craggy than a mountain". I have run in many states in this country of ours (and in countries other than ours) and have never been without these "conspicuous" buggers popping up slowing down my lightning speed...well you get it.
As I ran on I continued to think about hills. Big ones, little ones, long sloping giants, and the monsters you dread or make special plans to take on. I run each one differently and by differently I mean running style. Short quick steps versus long open strides. But one method that is the same for every "natural elevation" is the mental competition in which I engage the hill. I am very competitve by nature, never arrogant, just hate to lose! So when presented with the challenge of a hill I put myself into competition mode. I give it a name, usually of someone who has challenged me over the years, I give it eyes near the top, and I often have conversations with it. Silently of course but occasionally it does sound like heavy breathing. I often tell the hill that "today is not your day", a phrase I often use with my soldiers when they want to race me back from three miles out. I engage the hill in a stare down the whole way up. Some people like to use the top of a hill as a goal and to them I say "stop selling yourselves short". My goal is ALWAYS beyond the hill, sometimes two or three more hills down the road. That way I have the pleasure of not only beating the hill but leaving it standing in defeat unable to challenge me again. All these thoughts led to the enevidible crossover into my life in the metaphorical sense.
The types of hills we encounter in life vary in the same way as those I encounter on the road. Some are short, steep, and are easily taken by building speed and ripping up the side of them as fast as you can. Knowing full well that you will be winded at the top but can cruise along at a much gentler pace after. Then there are the long, gentle sloping giants that you never see the top of. Grueling run, constant struggle, no end in sight, never bad enough to bring your life to a stand still, but just enough to drain everything you are right out of you. And of course there are the "Monsters". These evil things are coming for you it seems and you can see them from a long way off. These daunting challenges threaten your very life at times. They are steep. They are giant. They pull everything you are from you and cast it aside like trash. Keep running. They get steeper near the top. Keep running. They are rough. They are unstable. Keep running. Even the top of the hill has hills. Keep running.
If life were a flat surface, unwinding, unending,unchanging we would be bored to exhaustion. I know some of you wish for boredom. You desire the flat, expected, normal life where everything is good and nothing changes. No surprises. No real challenges. A constant jog through your existance here on earth. At times I too desire this, often on that long slow slope that never seems to end. However, it eventually ends and I keep running. That particular challenge in life is left behind me standing in defeat. Eventually my breathing slows back down, and I return to my normal pace. "This too shall pass" my friends. There is never a challege presented to you that you are not able to overcome. Never a hill placed on the road of life that you cannot push through, breathe through, or be helped through.
I often run alone. It's quiet. Silent. Meditational. Just me and the road. However there are those times when I cant do it alone. I need a buddy, a team, a squad. I need people around me to encourage, yell, challenge and drag me along.I need those I love. I need those I dont. When your "hills" get too much for you to handle look around. There are always people running behind and beside you. Trust them. Allow them to help. Never stop running and let them carry you, but bring them in close and use their strength to help you. Some hills were meant to run solo.There is a challenge there meant for you and you alone. Keep running. But when these conspicuous bastards raise their ugly heads and you find yourself with a team running it together pull them in, look to the top and keep running. My team has included so many people over the years. My wife, my Kids, my parents, my siblings and the rest of my enormous family. The men I have had the privilege of leading and following during my time in the Army. Dear friends Kenny, Carlos,Seth, and Mark. Not a day goes by that am not eternally thankful for each one of my "running" buddies. Thank you Lord for inundating me with incredible people. I love you all and hope you have a Blessed Christmas! Keep running!
