Something Bigger

I've always loved to run in the rain. Not the type of toad floaters that Texas is famous for. You know the ones where even running across a low water crossing is likely to have you end up on some oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. I'm talking about a Seattle type rain, the slight drizzle that in Texas helps cool the body and is just heavy enough that drivers or casual observers think that you are not quite right in the head.   

The slight drizzle this day amplified the cooler than normal temperature for late May in Austin and should have told me that this was going to be one of those magical runs. My feet were light and quiet. I try to judge running efficiencies by the quietness of the foot falls of my size 14 shoes. Where normally there would be audible sounds of my Hoka One One Clifton 3's on the chip seal roads which run for miles through the countryside, today there was silence. As a bonus for the day's run, the homeowner’s association had placed small flags at every driveway to celebrate Memorial Day. The flags lined the side of the road like spectators along an Olympic marathon.   

The drizzle started to dissipate near the end of the first mile. Looking around I spotted an egret on the peak of a house with the backdrop of thinning clouds trying to hold back the suns early rays. The bird stood there and never moved as if my presence was expected and of little concern this morning. While an egret was a common occurrence during my morning runs when I lived in south east Texas, this was the first one I have seen in the decade that I have lived in Austin. Many Native American tribes associate egrets with peace and harmony which was fitting for the way the run had begun.   

The first mile alarm ticked off about 15 seconds earlier than normal which was a bit of a surprise based on how easy the effort. The second mile was another 15 seconds faster than even the first. As I began the third mile,  Normally when I have this type of run I will push the final miles to set a personal record, but on this day I reaffirmed my commitment to just enjoy the day that God had graciously given me. These types days are far too rare to squander on something as trivial as a training personal record. 100 yards into my final mile of the day I noticed one of the flags the HOA had set out had fallen over and was laying on the ground. As I passed it, I looked down thinking this was a violation of US Flag etiquette but kept running fully enjoying a great running day. However, with every step the little voice inside me told me to go back and get the flag off the ground. Finally, after about 20 yards the pangs of responsibility, of something bigger than me, became too much and I turned around. 

As I picked up the flag scenes from Olympics past replayed in my head. US Athletes taking a victory lap around the track holding a flag. They waved it in the air with pride for not only winning the race but also doing so in honor of the country that provided them the freedom to pursue their passion. I couldn't resist reenacting this scene and was able to capture the moment in the best selfie to ever captured by a middle aged, middle of the packer. After completing the celebrations I placed the stick holding the flag firmly into the ground, so as to avoid falling over again, and returned to complete my run with a heart as light as my feet and a chest bursting with pride. As I touched the button on my watch for the final time that day I was surprised to see that even with the celebration my last mile was still 1 second faster than the one before allowing to complete my negative split. Karma.   

As I completed my cool down I tried to decide if the great feeling was due to the great run or that I took time out to do something simple yet larger meaning. I could have easily kept running past the flag because it was not my job or it would negatively impact my good run. Instead I took a few seconds to do what pride in my country told me was right. What if everyone used this story as a metaphor to do something good for her or his country. Something bigger than themselves. They put down their smartphone long enough to put out a flag, thank a soldier or veteran, help someone in need, or simply think of someone else instead of themselves for a minute. Just like the individual pixels on a television screen are small and insignificant alone,  However, taken in aggregate, they bring a picture to life. Small acts of kindness or doing what is right without expectation of anything in return, can change the world.