Man in motion

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.