Hundreds of kids before me and hundreds of kids after me have said this or something like it about East Jordan. I know I did. But what did I know, anyway? I was a teenager in a small town, I had no idea what I really liked, or who I really was. Of course, had you tried to explain that to me at the time I'm sure I would have scoffed and took off on my BMX bike, or later taken off in my '84 S10 with two 12" subs in the back....yeah, I was THAT kid.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you "running changed my outlook on life" but, it has.....crap, I lied. When you run 40-50 miles/wk, that's a little over 1 hour per day alone with my thoughts.....sprinkle in a little "runners high" and POOF! The mysteries of the universe and purpose of life are there for the pondering. Ok, so maybe it's not exactly like that, but kind of.
Once I left EJ and got a taste of the real world I found myself with a new found respect for "home". I think I've shaped up into a pretty good guy and, although I think we all should take responsibility for our actions, I think there's a lot to be said for one's environment and how that shapes you into the person you are. That being said, I always credit my value as a person today to 1) my parents and 2) EJ. Without my parents I wouldn't have the value system I have or the work ethic that's made me successful. Without my life in EJ, I wouldn't have the appreciation for relationships and nature like I do.
That's why running here is so special to me. It's the ultimate trip down memory lane. In a car, you'd blink and be through town, running allows you the chance to ABSORB all the little things that make this town special. So, take all the "mysteries of the universe", "who are we" mentality described above and combine that with running through all your childhood spots......it's simply amazing. Today was one of those days where everything seemed to click and my running and mind were synched, and running took me back to my simplist days in EJ. The days when it was just me and my friends, and our bikes. Just ridin' around.
It was snowing, which had me excited already so I finished my coffee and headed out. I had a short track workout today but figured, "what the hell" and ran the 2.7 miles to the track instead of driving. I sang, air-drummed, and even did a heel-click as I bounded down the road along the lake. Passing my dads house, the tree we used to play in as kids, past the tourist park and the beach we swam in all the time. Past Marty's (god, if that place was open in the winter.....) and the basketball courts we played at until dark during the hot summer months. Running over the bridge is my favorite part. Lake on the left, river on the right. LiTerally, my two favorite things in life. I always love seeing the new changes to downtown when I come home. New bank, new owner of "Jans" (now Chicken 'n' stuff...really?) but same 'ol hometown feel. Everywhere I look I'm flooded with great memories. Friends old homes or parents houses, routes to and from school. The old sledding hill, which today had a couple kids on it; made me so happy.
Since I had to run a track workout, I figured it was appropriate to "take my talents to Boswell Stadium". It was pretty cool to go back to place where I had run track briefly and cheered on my friends during football games. As soon as I walked in I could see it all like it was yesterday. Stadium lights on, little kids playing nerf football by the concession stand. "Back in Black" blaring over the loud speaker while our team took the field. How surreal was this? I'm standing here, 11 years outta H.S., training for my second marathon on my xmas break and doing it on my old home track.....life is a funny/awesome thing sometimes.
The workout itself wasn't that great. I kept getting snow packed into the gaps in my tread and I was sure I was going to destroy my knees but I made it. I wasn't sure I would even want to run home again, but I had so much fun on my way there, I decided to hell with it and jogged back. I even took time to stop at a friends house, Luke Meredith, to catch up. That's what makes this town special to me, the relationships that form out of living in small town, USA. We all grew up knowing each other from grade school onward, hard to beat friends like that. And if there's one thing I can say with certainty, EJ Boys are the best friends you could ever have. I have a lot of friends, a lot of great friends, but EJ boys have your back no matter what, will greet you each time with a genuine smile, and open arms for a hug. From there it's good conversation and good beer drinking and in 10 minutes, it's like we never left each other.
That's why I love EJ so much and I love coming back to pay hommage to the people and places that made me who I am today. Thank you.
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