As I went for my morning jog in the new locality for the very
first time, I came across several people in varying degrees of motion.
A couple with slight paunches ambled by discussing household matters;
a determined elderly lady stood on the side walk facing the rising Sun doing
some exercises to keep herself flexible while her water bottle and identity
card rested on the near-by fire hydrant; a physically challenged lady walking
with a purposeful gait to get her daily fix of exercise; some youngsters timing
their short sprints & serious running; while some youngsters came out only
to show off their fancy running gear sans running; some were walking briskly,
while some were out for their early morning stroll. Their ages ranged anywhere from
late teens to maybe late seventies.
While the ones really out for some exercise were comfortably clad
and did not sport an iPod or iPhone or any such device, some of the show-offs
certainly did have colourful earphones sticking into their ears, colourful
shoes, colourful attire, the works. There were some serious runners with their iPhones
doubling up as pedometers, music players and whatnot.
As I became more regular with my jogs, I figured out who were the
regular ones and who were the "flash-in-the-pan"s. What struck me
most about this cross section of regulars was their steadfastness &
discipline. Waking up early in the morning every single day and be there promptly
to take care of their health.
Often times, I have been cheered up by the smile shared by some
joggers who jog past me. Earlier I was a bit hesitant to greet fellow
joggers / walkers lest they look through me like some of them had. But I
persisted and was finally rewarded. Now, some nod their head
slightly, some bend their head slightly, some give a very energetic &
cheerful “Good morning” while some give a smile & a wave. I realized how
nice it is to be greeted back so early in the morning and felt glad that I
persisted. Yes, there are still some who maintain a serious face and look
through me when I smile at them. And there are those bulldozers who want the right
of way even on a jogging track.
In particular, I have found the regular presence of the elderly lady
and the physically challenged lady, very inspiring and reassuring. Their never-die
spirit has my admiration and respect.
From the past few days, I haven’t seen the elderly lady in her
usual spot anymore. Not knowing whom to ask about her, I continued with my
pavement pounding, inspired by her determination and perseverance to keep
herself healthy to the extent allowed by her age.
I hope, wherever she is, she is fine.
Never been a big fan of jogging.. but walking a big YES !! you can recognize the serious ones by their timing.. you cross them same time, at the same place 7 days a week, no matter what time of the year it is :-) and yes.. first u just look up as u pass by, then there is the nod, then a wave of the hand.. dose'nt usually go beyond that until you bump into them in the supermarket or movie hall :-) Yes.. if you don't cross their path for a few days, you begin to wonder if all is well with them or not.. I agree ;-)
ReplyDeleteBingo, Ravi. Surprisingly, I haven't run into any of these people anywhere else. :)
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