The Art Of Running

Art in motion

I admire runners.  I am glued to the tv when there’s a track meet on.  The Olympics is like my fix.  Ever since I could remember, I’ve always been mesmerized by the human body moving in sync as it glides down a race track or just on the road effortlessly.  Or at least seemingly so.  Fast or slow.  It’s an enjoyable sight to me.   Maybe the runner might not share my sentiments.

I have tried to imitate or maybe I should say impersonate, a real runner.  Lacing up running shoes bought for the occasion, stretching then heading out for a nice casual evening jog.  It doesn’t take long for my trickery to be exposed.  Within a couple of minutes, I am reduced to a panting gasping excuse for a runner. The thoughts swirl through my head. “I guess this is really not for everyone.  It sure doesn’t feel as good and enjoyable as it looked”.

On Sunday, the Manitoba Marathon gets underway.  My wife will attempt to run the half.  I will choose to watch real runners ply their hobby instead of getting in their way so I will stand on the side of the road and cheer them on.  They will look at me without breaking their rhythm and smile.  Yes, they could still muster a smile even at mile 10!  What artistry!

Ah, the art of running…too bad I’m such a poor artist.  Go runners! Run!

Yes, that’s me struggling to the finish line on my first marathon. I ran the last leg of our relay team.

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When Knowledge Is Not Power

He knows but they don’t. Do they know that he knows?

One of my favorite phrases is this:

He who knows not and knows not he knows not: he is a fool-shun him.
He who knows not and knows he knows not: he is simple-teach him.
He who knows and knows not he knows: he is asleep-wake him.
He who knows and knows he knows: he is wise-follow him.

Very pregnant and meaningful words that can be applied to our everyday lives.  We all know someone who thinks they know more than they do.  Probably our bosses?  Or even us?  It is kind of harsh to call such a person, or you, a fool but let’s not mince words here.  If you go around acting like you know everything but really know little, you have to admit, that’s foolish right there.  Then there’s the silent type who offers little because they are  unsure of what they know.  He knows that he knows not.  Such a person makes a perfect scholar and as the phrase say, we should teach him.  He is simple.  That makes sense as we sometimes look at the quiet person as a simpleton.  As another saying goes, ‘It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.’  Unfortunately, many of us would rather chance it.

It is often said that knowledge is power but I think it should be ‘knowledge in use is power’.  You can’t be powerful if you are not using your knowledge, right?  It’s like the world’s strongest man lying in bed all day.  What use is his strength?  This is the HE who knows and knows not that he knows.  This person is asleep and needs an awakening.  He’s like a leader falling asleep.  He has to be awaken so he could lead those who don’t know where they are going.  Once he realizes that he knows, he becomes wise.

The bad news is that those who know and know that they know are usually vain, proud and self-righteous.  (Well so much for the above phrase).  They are worse than the fool who does not know he knows nothing.  Putting this all into context in regards to the real world, we can safely say that we have an over-abundance of fools, too many simple minds, a lot of sleepy heads and a short supply of wise men.

Confused?  Don’t worry too much about it. Just my take.

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Is It A Black Thing?

A few weeks ago I was having a chat with my 16 year old cousin about school.  We were talking about his gym activities when he mentioned to me that he was one of two black kids in his class.  No biggie there.   Then he added that when they picked teams, the gym teacher would make sure they were not on the same team.  Interesting and funny at the same time.

This is a perfect example of how we are programmed to see people by their color and culture even though we repeat the same rhetoric about not seeing each other as color but as people.  That’s also why remnants of racism will always stay among us.  The gym teacher did nothing wrong in separating the only two blacks in his class.  It seemed the natural thing to do, like not putting the two tallest players on the same basketball team.  He didn’t see the boys as just two people but as two black kids.  Just like not seeing the tallest guys as just people but two very tall guys.

Now because we see color or race first, yes we do, when we see someone who is not one of ‘us’ our brain immediately goes into a type of racial profiling.  For example, if we see a group of athletes with one black guy among them, we automatically think the black guy is superior.  Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t.  We still would place bets on the black guy.  If we open our doors to find a turbaned guy standing there, our first reaction is fear.  Our first thought?  Terrorist.  Would we react the same if a Chinese guy was standing there?  Probably not.

So my point is, as much as we work hard and profess to work hard at tearing down barriers, we keep putting up new ones.  And while we tear down the obvious ones, our own mental barriers remain intact and impenetrable.   In my opinion, as long as we are humans, these barriers will exist.  Can we end racism?  Heck no!  As long as there are different races, there will be racism.  Tell them I said so.  Our minds are racist.  It’s how they are wired.  Don’t bother with the “Oh I don’t see color, I see the man” crap.  Unless you are blind, you do see color.  When you do, your brain unconsciously feeds you data on the particular stereotype.  Nothing is wrong with that.  Now what you do with that information is what makes  defines who you are.  You could override this automatic stereotyping by letting the person influence what you think of him or you could allow your mind to dictate how you react to him because of his racial profile.  That would be ignorant.  Racism is a product of ignorance.

If you accept and embrace the differences in the people you share this earth with then you could say without any ill intention that ‘it is a black thing’.  And it’s quite ok if you don’t understand.

Hey, it’s just my humble opinion.  Don’t hate.

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Don’t Waste Food. Someone Somewhere Is Starving!

Oxfam East Africa – On the edge of Dadaab camp 01 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While out for an evening stroll, I had to duck to avoid getting wet by  a sprinkler that was hydrating someone’s grass.  I guess I was bored because I started thinking, “Look at that.  Watering lawns while people in Africa are dying for lack of clean drinkable water.”  Then I thought of all the ways we waste precious water.  Washing our cars, brushing our teeth and showering while the water runs…Then I thought of something else that we waste.  Food.

Remember your parents warning when you didn’t eat your food and they had to throw it out?  ”Don’t you know that in Africa someone is dying from starvation?”  It didn’t really change anything, did it?  We are still wasting our food.  Been to a buffet lately?  One of the biggest examples of food wastage right there.  (I still love a good buffet.   I call it unconditional love).

Wasting food and water is a relative thing.  We have lots of it always available when we want it so why ration it, right?  We are lucky to live in a country where we can eat and drink what we want when we want.  We can also take baths or showers whenever.  When such abundance is at our fingertips, it’s harder to not waste it.  You take a bite of steak and it’s not to your liking and you throw it out because you know what a good steak tastes like and it’s not like this.   Some don’t have that luxury but can you we be blamed?  I think not really.

Should we stop watering our grass, stop washing the car, take less showers and conserve water?  Maybe if you want to.  Would it help?  It might be as effective as those one-day gas boycotts.  Should we still throw out food?  It doesn’t matter the answer, we will always throw out food.  Let’s be real here.  So then what can we do?  People in Africa are indeed dying for what we are throwing out.  Heck, people down the street are in dire straits for lack of food.  But if I eat that piece of steak instead of throwing it out, how would that curb world hunger?  It’s not like someone in Africa owned the cow.

So what the point in talking about it if we are still going to waste resources that people are dying for?  Respect.  Yes, how about we respect what we have?  Our water, food, etc.  If we respect them then we would finish that steak but vow to make it better next time.  We would shut off the water when while we brush our teeth.  We would perhaps use a bucket instead of a hose to wash our cars.

If you don’t care about the dying Africans or the guy down the street, at least we should be thankful and respect what we have.  Ultimately, we might inadvertently be saving the lives of those dying for what we are wasting.

Just my take.

Note:  Even the Pope is feeling me.  A day after I drafted this blog, the Pope released a statement saying that wasting food is like stealing from the poor.

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Bigger Issues Than Al Qaeda

Do you remember Al Qaeda?  Osama’s terrorist organization?  Of course you do.  And if you ever tried forgetting, don’t worry, the government will make sure to remind you of the threat it still poses.  A few months ago, President Obama released a statement to the effect that Al Qaeda was on the run.  In his words they were “on a path to defeat”.  Seems like he was just blowing hot air or speaking out of turn, depending on what you choose to believe.

Jack Keane, a retired army general who has knowledge of such things have also agreed that the terrorist network is far from being defeated.  I am not sure how much weight an armchair commander carries but I am not well-educated on such matters myself so I can’t say what does a retired guy know about a Middle East based terrorist network?  When was the last time he actually saw a terrorist?   What I do know is that while the US government continues to make sure that Americans remain fearful of a potential attack by terrorists, Americans are busy terrorizing Americans.  While Americans wait for that supposed terrorist act that would inflict mass casualties, Americans walk into schools and inflict mass casualties on American kids. They carry out heinous crimes on innocent civilians, including children.  They are Americans without any affiliation to a terrorist network.  Americans are warned to be on the alert for terrorist act on Americans but how about the guy next door who kidnaps women and children as they walk home?  Terrorizing them in his home for years?  How about the man who walks into his workplace and shoots his co-workers to death? Or the American so high on drugs that he chews on his innocent victims in broad daylight? Can Al Qaeda really be any worse?

Pardon me but I’m sick and tired of hearing that some guy with a Muslim name has been killed in the Middle East.  Yet another Al Qaeda leader.  Tired of hearing how the battle against terrorism is being won.  Then it’s not.  Then it is.  Depends on who’s talking.  Tired of hearing how guns are to be blamed for the rise in armed violence when the real reason is not addressed.  If guns were the real cause, I propose a world-wide ban on guns.  This would eliminate terrorism.  Or would it?   So many issues that are not potential but very real to Americans.  As they say in politics, Clear and Present Danger.  A million problems and Al Qaeda ain’t one.

And this is my take.

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Can’t Blame The Youths

If you spend time on Facebook or have an email address, I am sure you have seen forwards or ecards comparing the kids of today to those back in the day.  ”When we were young we played with sticks.”  or “We played outside until it was dark.” But is it really a fair comparison?

In ‘the old days’ we did play with sticks and a bit of imagination but that was only because we had no alternatives.  When we were kids, we were never bombarded with the technology that the kids these days are bombarded with.  Why would we stay in and play video games when there were no video games?  We chose instead to do our homework simply because our options were limited.  Some of us were lucky if we even had a TV to watch.

As kids, we probably did play outside until it was dark but then perverts and pedophiles did not roam around looking for prey.  Those were the days.

Yes, many kids are addicted and even obsessed with their electronic toys and this is not a good thing but it is the beast that we created.  Now we must learn how to make it work for us.  It’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Or is it?

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Not With Gay Marriage

English: This protester was on his own and letting Minnesota state Senators know his position on gay marriage. This is freedom of speech in action. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Celebrities and professional athletes have been known to open their mouths before their brains were in gear.  Most often than not.  Causing collateral damage that their publicists have had to clean up.   Because of this, when I read the headlines, ‘Adrian Peterson Is Against Gay Marriage’  I could be excused for thinking,  uh huh, here comes another athlete speaking out against gay marriage and probably saying the wrong things that he has to apologise for later.

I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the way Adrian Peterson candidly and honestly stated his opinion.  He did not judge or question the legality of gay marriage, but just eloquently stated his beliefs.  To add to it, he let it be known that he had family who were gay and who he loved.   Adrian is also best friends of gay marriage advocate and former teammate Chris Kluwe.  I take it they both respect each other’s opinion without letting it affect their friendship.

And this is how opinions should be shared and embraced.  Without fuss, fight or apology.  No hate, no judgement.  For the records, I, like Adrian, am ‘not with’ gay marriage and that’s just my take, which in this case is not debatable.

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Friday Fodder: Declining Moral Values

There are many differing opinions on the reason for the decaying of moral values in our society.  One thing that is mutually agreed upon is that it is indeed decaying.  Or declining.  Some say it is just scriptures coming to past.  Others blame it on television. Maybe it is all the above and then some.  For me, one of the major reasons is parenting.  Moral values go hand in hand with parenting.  Proper parenting ensures that values are instilled in our children.  If we fail to do that, then they grow up barely able to discern right from wrong.  Then they make their own laws.

It’s interesting to note the differences in the problems that schools in the 1940′s faced compared to schools in the 80′s.  Just a 40 year gap.  Astounding!  In the 40′s, the major problems were truancy, running in the halls, talking in class, and chewing gum.  In the 80′s, the problems included teenage pregnancy, violence, stealing, rape, bringing knives and guns to school, drug abuse and vandalism.  And that’s in the eighties!

The students still run in the halls but now they run with guns.  They still chew gum and chew out their teachers and talk back to them.  Yes, I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of parents.  But…but…we can’t control what our kids become when they grow up.  This is usually our whiny and pathetic excuse for our failure to provide our kids with the proper tools to grow into men and women with morals.  In truth, we are too lazy, ill-equipped to teach or just bad parents.  Yeah, there is such a thing.  But how about television? So many bad shows out there and their friends are also influential.  Gimme a break!  No excuses!  Some of us do suck at parenting.

Yes,  sometimes we do our best as parents but our kids still veer off the track.  You can’t be blamed in that case, but when I see so many instances of parents who have apparently thrown in the towel, allowing their wards to do as they please, we have a problem and it’s us.

Then there’s the justice system that seems powerless to do anything to curb youth crime.  Too  young to show their faces in the media.  Too young to name them.  Too young to punish them.  Punish the parents instead if they try to punish their own kids.  Protect the kids at all cost!  Even if that cost is morality.

Just my take.

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You Call That Racism? Gimme The Fried Chicken!

After exchanging not-so-nice words, most likely via twitter and everywhere else but to each other’s faces, golfers Sergio Garcia when asked if he would have Tiger Woods over to break bread, responded by saying, “We will have him round every night.  We will serve fried chicken.”  The golfing world got their knickers in a tangle with some calling for severe punishment.

As a black man, I do not find this at all insulting.  Someone alluding that I love fried chicken? That is racist?  It’s the truth!  I am black and love fried chicken very much!  I hate steak and fish.  As a white person, would you be offended if I told you that I would prepare turkey if you came over for dinner? Would you think I am being racist?  I hope not.  Look at it this way, if it’s racist to associate a particular food with a race, how about the term, Chinese Food?  Aha!

So maybe we should all calm down about all this racial stuff.  When we bring each comment under the microscope, looking for hints of racism, we are only helping to keep racism in our society.  It’s an overkill!

And you there bro, if you are black and too upset to eat the fried chicken, pass it over to me.  You may as well get me a slice of water melon also because I love it.  Maybe it’s a black thing or maybe it’s not.

Just my take.

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Oklahoma Tornado – My Image Of The Day

Today, as I read about the devastation caused by the monstrous twister that touched down in Moore, Oklahoma, I was drawn to the photo posted above.  To me it spoke volumes.

In the photo, a woman with bright blue hair and black boots, rushed to gather her child. Her hair flying wildly and legs pumping like pistons, her body language conveying relief, happiness, fright, panic all in the same package.  It reminds me of a lioness rushing to the aid of a member of her pride.  To snatch it from the clutches of the enemy.

A photo like this would usually be fodder for jokes.  The hair, the attire, ripe for the pickings but in this situation, I see no humor.  I see a fellow parent.  A parent who suddenly realized that her little boy is not dead but very much alive.  A child who sees his mom as the most beautiful mom in the world.  Not a blue-haired freak in black boots charging at him like an out of control freight train.

That’s My Mommy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s funny, but not ha ha funny, that no matter what mommy looks like on the outside, she’s always the most beautiful mommy in the world on the inside to her child.  When the child is in danger, mommy is even more beautiful when she shows up at just the right time.  Mommy is here baby!  Everything is going to be fine.

I can imagine how this mother feels.  Hearing the news that the school her child is attending has been destroyed with some fatalities.  The feeling is indescribable.  Then to show up at the school and see your son very much alive.  No words could describe the transition of feelings.  Legs buckling fear and panic followed by legs buckling relief.  In the photo, I see it all.

God be with all the victims of this disaster.  May the souls of the dead rest in peace and may their loved ones be comforted.

Note:  A reader notified me that the person is not the boy’s mom but actually his sister who ran all the way from her high school after learning his school had been hit.  It doesn’t diminish my interpretation of the photo in any way.  If anything it just shows that some sisters could be just as close as  mothers.