"Don't wish it were easier, wish that you were better" - Jim Rohn
She was panting when she reached my side. I gave her a few minutes to catch her breath. It was fine - we were in no hurry after all.
"Tired?" I asked when her breathing pattern was restored, her rate normalising.
"Yes."
"...tired of what, specifically?"
She wrinkled her forehead, confused and perhaps, wary of me. "What, specifically, is your question?"
"Is your apparent tiredness stemming from exertion of running away, or are you tired of running away itself?"
"Ah. Good question." She paused to ponder. "You think?"
"I'd say it's both, although the former is more obvious than the latter. At least, by my standards."
"You're right. I am tired of all this running away - avoiding responsibilities, avoiding things just because they have a high probability to screw up. Running away from things when they don't agree with me, or when things are bound to become bad and ugly. Tired of all the panicking and hoping."
I nodded in agreement. "Life will screw you over."
"Quite true. Running won't exactly solve anything. The most it can provide you with is some temporary relief, before falling on your back, regardless if you've seen it coming from a mile away."
"And so...?"
"Well, I suppose to prevent life from screwing us over we'll just have to be well-prepared for it. I mean, sometimes we just have to give in to life, to what has been appointed to us. Stop asking 'why me?' when the world appears to go against you. Playing with 'what if' situations won't really help much to reduce your stress." She beamed at me.
"It's nice to see this paradigm shift in you."
"Yeah? I just hope it's not too late, and that it lasts properly...the heart can't take all the lashings coming its way, anyhow. Well, I'd better dash off..."
"What, where to?" I asked. "So soon? You're running again?"
"Yeah. There's no escape from the bad things in life, but I'd best start equipping myself with whatever is necessary for my survival. Besides, what option do I have but to run, when Time itself flies?" She winked, and was off again before I could say another word.
Indeed, tempus fugit. Regardless of where we stand, be it trapped in the past or anxiously anticipating the future, Time still moves forward.
Run on, until the curtain closes...and perhaps, one will be finally worthy of the applause that might follow.
Current Music: Need You - Travie McCoy
P/s: Crossposted here
P/p/s: "Running the gauntlet", according to the Oxford American dictionary, means to "go through an intimidating or dangerous crowd, place, or experience in order to reach a goal". Appropriate title is appropriate.
As a side note, this was supposed to be written in poetry form but...this fever is killing the words in my brain. Maybe some other day...
