Running Thoughts: Birthdays and Street Lamps
I ran 4.02 miles this morning in 37:10. I completed my run before 5:45 AM, but I’m just now finding time to write this. It’s been a full day, and I’m tired so I’m going to keep this really short. You might want to listen to the embedded Audioboo (above), which I recorded immediately after my run.. Two big thoughts came out of my run this morning.
First, I am really thankful for my wife and children. Evelyn turned 5 today, and I’m a little sad. She and the boys are growing up so fast. I want to slow time down. Debbie has a unique gift for making the kids’ birthdays special. We have banners, special meals, big celebrations, and personal treats. I envy her gift for making others feel loved, and I want to do a better job of treating my students like the unique individuals thy are.
Second, our neighborhood has no streetlights! And you can imagine how dark it is to run at 5 AM. However, on our street each house has small street lamp in the yard so I start my run with a little light, head into darkness, then return in dawning light. Do you think that might be a metaphor for learning? We start with our current understanding, head into the darkness (our inquiry), then return with better understanding? Does the teacher play a role similar to a street lamp? (I don’t want to carry the light metaphor too far.)
What do you think? I need rest.
Thanks for sharing how you use Audioboo. I see it as a nice alt to Cinch. Your running with the mic on reminds me of Paul Allison, who used to hook up a video on his bike in the mornings, and talk as he rode (sometimes, he would run, too, if I remember correctly.) Good reflective practice!
Kevin