Running, for some, can be about as enjoyable as waiting at the airport for your plane to leave. It’s just not something they have any interest in doing. They might even look upon running as a colossal waste of time
Running, for some, can be about as enjoyable as waiting at the airport for your plane to leave. It’s just not something they have any interest in doing. They might even look upon running as a colossal waste of time and resources and even find runners annoying.
Believe it or not, not everyone loves to run.
However, what if you could somehow make it more of an adventure? What if running or walking daily became a chance for discovery and perhaps provide a new perspective on life? What if it was just flat out fun?
Maybe then, running could be cool. Or at least worth giving a test run. Ha.
There is a way and it’s likely in your hand.
Your smart phone and the camera within it.
On a recent trip to Seattle, the city of my youth, I went for a 20-mile run. Later, another 10 miler. On both, though, I wasn’t racing or rushing or trying to pass the person in front of me. Instead, I stopped often. Not to rest. To take pictures.
As I run, my attention is on the world around me. I look for scenes and watch for shapes. I search for shadows and check for colors. Each day, even on the same routes, there is something new to capture on digital images.
It makes running a delight. A gift of wonder and beauty to behold. Sometimes, we runners tend to charge ahead, staring at the ground 25 feet in front of us, determined to hold a certain pace, reach a set time.
But running with the goal of taking pictures, makes each step an adventure. It makes running a chance to learn something new, to see what we might have otherwise passed by.
This works with walking, too. Might even make for better pictures because it gives you a little more time to focus on what’s all around you.
When I’m done running, I go through the pictures and sent them to my youngest daughter and oldest son, both runners, as a way to share that day with them. One could post your daily pictures on social media and inspire family and friends to do the same.
If you ever saw the movie “August Rush,” the main actor, a young boy who is musically gifted, says, “The music is all around us, all you have to do … is listen.”
Same with running and taking pictures.
Delight, discovery, details, are all around us.
All we have to do, is open our eyes.
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Bill Buley is editor of The Garden Island. He can be reached at bbuley@thegardenisland.com
