Desiderata

Running is a desideratum in my life.

And I have to take a break because of my knee. Apparently according to my coach (MJ) and Bryant, the personal trainer at Track and Field, something is rotten in the state of my IT band*. This was confirmed in what was SUPPOSED to be sexy leg massage from MJ that turned into, "Oh my god, what the hell it this." ("This" being the giant knot in my IT band). Mood killer. Total mood killer.

See the gray part? The Iliotibial Band is a muscle that lacks the same blood flow as other muscles, therefore has a tendency to get less oxygen, hence tightening. Tightening would eventually lead to tearing so- RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Awesome motto for the next couple of weeks. Expect a lot of blog posts.

Such is my life that whenever bad news hits, happy mood-lifters make there way into my life:

First came the greatest nature video I have ever seen. The fact that this movie has not had commercial success in the United States speaks to our lack of empathy and integrity in this heartless society. I blame capitalism. Just try not to cry at the end of this clip:



The cougar represents the voracious nature of time, coming to devour us all. The bear represents myself, especially what I will look like after this running break.

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Then came the word of the day (I have a mild obsession with both Merriam-Webster and Anu Garg (wordsmith.org)). The latter has weekly postings where people contribute their personal relationship with words. Lexicographic therapy. Desideratum was one of the words that I used above to describe my relationship to running. It is a noun: something desired or needed. A word etched into perpetual memory by the Max Erhmann poem of the same name:

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

OK YES. This poem is cheesy. The subsequent greeting cards, T-shirts, billboards, day calendars, chain letters sent from my mom, etc. that this poem has engendered encourages the cheesiness. But during this running sabbatical I am going to take a few lines a day to focus on as my mantra. If I write about it, the 'Blues will be featured on Oprah in no time and I'll be sharing couch space with good ole Elizabeth Gilbert.

Tomorrow is:
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.





* Hamlet reference. We all make them at some point. Here is a video rendition of Act I, iv, when H confronts his father's ghost. Low budget but NOT Kenneth Branagh.