I'm looking out for a hero.

So, in training for an upcoming half-marathon... I've been going on long runs.  This past Sunday I took one of those, however, it was not a good run.  Maybe it would have helped if I'd eaten better the day before (sun chips and wine do not a healthy dinner make).  Maybe starting out fast was a bad idea - though I would have PR'd a 5k had I been running one.  Maybe I should have worn my vest or at least some extra layer to keep warm when I switched to walking halfway through.  Coulda, woulda, shoulda -- I know.

However... had I been running, there were some amazing things I would have missed out on.  For instance, wending my way up a curvy, deserted road surrounded by trees.  Well, that part I would have experienced, but I wouldn't have been nearing the top when I'd hear "pa-pat, pa-pat, pa-pat" and watch three runners peacefully glide past me.  Two of them looked to be in their 70s, accompanied by a woman around my age.  Their rhythm sounded like horses trotting on a dirt trail, and there was something down right magical about them.  I thought "Oh, I could run like that if I kept at it..." and the old man turned and looked at me and smiled.

About half a mile later, I'm in a charming part of the neighborhood, and I see a woman and her young son across the street.  They're in my periphery, so I haven't really glanced at them, just registered them on my radar.  The little boy stops to look at a construction site, and then runs to catch up with his mom.  Get this.  He's wearing a full-on Batman suit.  Complete with cape, and he's got the hood on too.  He chases after his mom, and she reaches her hand down to take his, never missing a step.

It was nice to see that even a superhero needs his mom from time to time.

On the verge

Do you ever have a feeling that you're at a point where your life might diverge into a way that you hadn't yet imagined?  Cause I'm feeling that way right now.  I feel apprehensive and excited, but also a little scared.  It's easy to feel brave when life looks like how you're planning it... but these surprises can pop out from anywhere!

It's interesting, because if you believe in the mysteries of quantum physics, then you have to consider the possibility that our infinite universe, always expanding, contains different worlds where these small little divergences occur.  It's like this tree, where there's all these root systems, but the history goes back to one single trunk of the universe coming into existence.  Sometimes I can sit in a chair and ponder this for hours.

The problem with thinking about these divergences?  As I'm recognizing these different opportunities, I need to give serious thought to how I want my future to look.  It's like the quote from Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorite quotes in literature, in fact):
"Would you tell me please, which way I go from here?" asked Alice.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." Said the Cat.

So, where do I want to get to?  I'm not sure.  I'm doing a lot of thinking , and I think I need to call my mom.  She brought me into this world, I think talking to her might help me better determine where I want to go.