I decided today that I need to start doing things I've always wanted to do....

.....despite the fact that I have many limitations.
I ran a race today I have always wanted to run.
It's called Beat the Bridge.
You start at Husky Stadium in Seattle, run accross the Montlake bridge over the Montlake cut and then you have to haul ass for 2 miles to get to the University Bridge, which is a drawbridge, before they open it. I was running with my sister and she had fallen behind to keep a promise to a friend that she would not abandon her during the race. I totally had not trained and I was pretty winded after about a mile and a half of hauling ass. My body was telling me, "aw screw it. What are you running for. Just give it up. You aint gonna make it."
I recognized that old nemesis from days gone by and I replied, "This is something I've always wanted to do. I'm not going to give up now. If I have a shot, I'm going to take it. Are you going to let yourself get beat by an inanimate object? Who's tougher, you or the bridge? So I kicked it and made it a minute before the bridge opened up.
As I crossed the bridge I looked over to my left and there was a young black man with Rasta Dreadlocks holding a white cane behind him towing a blind man, guiding him through the mass of runners and successfully over the bridge. It made me appreciate the fact that my limitations were nothing compared to his. If he could do it, despite the fact that he was blind, I really had no excuse.
The view of the bridge opening up behind me was only diminished by the fact that I had to leave my team mate, my twin, on the other side. At that point my body was tired and said again, "Aw hell. You made your goal. Now just take the shortcut back to the finish line." I gave that advice serious consideration for a few moments until I caught my wind and then I remembered our Team Gemini motto: "Endure to the End" and I said to my body, this is not the end. I've not reached the finish line. I won't stop until I do.
A thought occured to me as I approached the finish line.
I thought about that Thoreau quote, where he said that "men have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man to "glorify God and enjoy him forever."
It occured to me that I had hastily concluded that very same thing. In retrospect I realized that there was no reason for me to make such a hasty conclusion. The chief end of man was much more sublime, and trascends religion, society, nationality, race, sex and all those other superficial differences.
This mass of humanity running together along the banks of the Montlake cut, they are my tribe. It is a big, diverse, healthy and beautiful tribe. I like these people.
The conversations I have with myself are the same as the conversations they have with themselves. They are the ones who's spirits have transended the weakness of thier flesh.
As I finished the last three miles of the race between my oldest son Nick and my twin sister, Merry. It was great to see him at the finish line, describing how he got his second wind at the bridge and got a total rush when he entered Husky Stadium and the people were cheering and he just kicked as hard as he could. I told him, "It's called endorphins. It's a natural high. If you run everyday you get to feel that everyday. It feels good huh?"
"Yeah. It feels great!"
I told him we need to start running together every day. That this is something I've always wanted to do and I was glad I got to share it with him. He told me he felt the same way.
It was a great day for us.