I provided the prompt for Week 6!
Name: Amy
Age: 28 years old
Scenario: She is sitting by herself in a small dressing room 30 minutes before her wedding
First Line: Amy could not help but wonder if she was making a mistake.
Even though the prompt was mine the result suprised me. I was initially thinking about a run-away bride when I came up with the prompt but my Amy had other ideas.
Here is the story I came up with:
Amy could not help but wonder if she was making a mistake.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly taking a long, hard look in the mirror.
“No … up. You’re right, it has to be up. Thank you James, it is perfect.”
James stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulders. The two stopped for a moment and stared at their reflection in the large gilded mirror.
“You look fabulous Amy,” he said with a smile. “You go walk down that aisle and knock ‘em dead. Chris isn’t gonna know what hit him.”
James kissed her cheek and started packing up his equipment to leave. It was unusual for a stylist of his caliber to make house calls but he agreed to make an exception after Amy pleaded with him at her last visit. Very few brides came in for four pre-wedding consultations and James could see that she was a woman who rarely took “no” for an answer.
Amy stood up from her stool in front of the vanity and walked around the room to check on the last-minute wedding details. In half an hour she would walk down the aisle and all of her preparations and plans would finally come to fruition.
At 28, Amy had been a guest or an attendant at more than her fair share of weddings. In fact, in her circle of college girlfriends she was one of the last to finally tie the knot. From the moment Chris proposed last September she had been furiously planning the wedding of her dreams. Hell, who was she kidding, she started making arrangements weeks before when she first came across the ring hidden in Chris’s sock drawer.
It had been a long year. There had been site visits, marathon sessions with the wedding planner, menu consultations and dress fittings to see to. Chris was understanding at first but over the last few weeks he started to question Amy’s ‘obsession’ with the wedding.
Those were his exact words: your obsession with the wedding.
Amy had been sitting in the kitchen trying to finalize a song list for the DJ when he said it. She stopped cold and stared at him. How could he not understand? This was the most important day of her life and she wanted every aspect to be perfect. Instead of helping her, he was talking to her in a sing-song voice usually reserved for negotiators talking someone off a ledge.
A week later Chris’s calm, reasonable voice was a distant memory as he opened their Visa bill and started to review the most recent wedding expenditures. As he calculated how far they had moved past their budget Amy agreed to make some compromises.
The next day she applied for a new credit card in her name alone. It had taken only a week to reach the $5,000 limit but Amy was sure she had made the right decision. When Chris saw all of little details coming together surely he would have to agree that the extra spending was necessary.
Amy smiled as her bridesmaids slipped the white silk, crystal-encrusted princess gown over her head and zipped up the back. It fit like a second skin. Her bridesmaid handed her a small bouquet of pink calla lilies that had arrived that morning on a special order and she took one last look at her reflection.
Today every eye would be on her. She was born to be a bride.
****
Again I urge you to check out: http://wegotcharacter.wordpress.com to see what my fellow writers came up with!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Love at First Sight
April 23, 1993
I had just come home from writing my last exam after my third year of university. I was tired and had a splitting headache but my friend Michele and I had made plans to go out and celebrate and she was not going to let me out of them. "Take an advil, I'll be there in an hour."
Our first stop was the Lone Star for dinner. Our initial plan was to head upstairs for a few beers and dancing but when we reached the lounge we realized that it was line-dancing night and those people took line-dancing very, very seriously. After a few attempts we realized we were out of our depth and decided to head down to the market. There was a bar where we had played pool the previous week and we decided to check it out again.
The place was slow to start. We had a beer and chatted until the DJ started to play some good tunes. We had not been dancing for long when a group of guys approached us. They were great: polite, a lot of fun, good dancers and so much nicer than the crowd at the country bar. About an hour later I excused myself to grab a beer and came back to the dance floor. I was looking for my girlfriend when a guy popped up in front of me. He had a great smile with a dimple on his cheek and when he looked at me everything around me stopped for a second.
I was not looking to meet anyone that night. I had just got out of a long-term relationship and my heart was still pretty fragile. I wanted to be single for a while and figure out what I was going to do with my future but the guy with the smile was all I could think about. A voice in the back of my head said: this is the man you are going to marry.
I dismissed it. There was no such thing as love at first sight. Sure, this guy was good looking, well-built and had a killer smile but I had taken myself off the market. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to a quieter spot to introduce himself. His name was Paul, he was in the army and he was 25. You can't be too careful when you meet a guy in a bar so I asked for I.D. -- his name was in fact Raymond but he goes by his middle name and he had a scar on his right shin according to the military ID that I had to ask about. He was a good sport and that smile was melting a hole in my heart so I agreed to go for coffee with him if he bought me a piece of pie. My girlfriend had be-friended one of his buddies so off we went.
As we walked to the cafe he told me it had started out as a bad night: he had ripped his jeans and lost a contact but he was happy with how it was turning out. I scrawled my phone number on the back of an ATM receipt with my lipstick and he promised he would call 2 days later.
The next day I thought about him a lot. He was in the army -- I NEVER dated military guys. He lived in Germany but he planned to be posted here soon. He was separated and had a child -- definitely too much baggage. He did not fit any of the criteria that I was looking for so why did I jump every time the phone rang.
He called on Sunday as promised. He had already bought a map and planned a route to my house. As we sat there that night drinking coffee and eating wings I don't know if he would have believed that we would end up here 17 years later: married, a house, three children, a grandson.
But, here we are. Ginger it has been a crazy ride but I am glad we took it. I love you.
I had just come home from writing my last exam after my third year of university. I was tired and had a splitting headache but my friend Michele and I had made plans to go out and celebrate and she was not going to let me out of them. "Take an advil, I'll be there in an hour."
Our first stop was the Lone Star for dinner. Our initial plan was to head upstairs for a few beers and dancing but when we reached the lounge we realized that it was line-dancing night and those people took line-dancing very, very seriously. After a few attempts we realized we were out of our depth and decided to head down to the market. There was a bar where we had played pool the previous week and we decided to check it out again.
The place was slow to start. We had a beer and chatted until the DJ started to play some good tunes. We had not been dancing for long when a group of guys approached us. They were great: polite, a lot of fun, good dancers and so much nicer than the crowd at the country bar. About an hour later I excused myself to grab a beer and came back to the dance floor. I was looking for my girlfriend when a guy popped up in front of me. He had a great smile with a dimple on his cheek and when he looked at me everything around me stopped for a second.
I was not looking to meet anyone that night. I had just got out of a long-term relationship and my heart was still pretty fragile. I wanted to be single for a while and figure out what I was going to do with my future but the guy with the smile was all I could think about. A voice in the back of my head said: this is the man you are going to marry.
I dismissed it. There was no such thing as love at first sight. Sure, this guy was good looking, well-built and had a killer smile but I had taken myself off the market. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to a quieter spot to introduce himself. His name was Paul, he was in the army and he was 25. You can't be too careful when you meet a guy in a bar so I asked for I.D. -- his name was in fact Raymond but he goes by his middle name and he had a scar on his right shin according to the military ID that I had to ask about. He was a good sport and that smile was melting a hole in my heart so I agreed to go for coffee with him if he bought me a piece of pie. My girlfriend had be-friended one of his buddies so off we went.
As we walked to the cafe he told me it had started out as a bad night: he had ripped his jeans and lost a contact but he was happy with how it was turning out. I scrawled my phone number on the back of an ATM receipt with my lipstick and he promised he would call 2 days later.
The next day I thought about him a lot. He was in the army -- I NEVER dated military guys. He lived in Germany but he planned to be posted here soon. He was separated and had a child -- definitely too much baggage. He did not fit any of the criteria that I was looking for so why did I jump every time the phone rang.
He called on Sunday as promised. He had already bought a map and planned a route to my house. As we sat there that night drinking coffee and eating wings I don't know if he would have believed that we would end up here 17 years later: married, a house, three children, a grandson.
But, here we are. Ginger it has been a crazy ride but I am glad we took it. I love you.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Week 5: Karen Nichols
Week 5 was the first challenge that asked us to create a new character to interact with someone we had met in a previous week. We got an opening line that was short but really said a lot about the type of woman that Karen was.
“The first time I met Karen Nichols, she struck me as the kind of woman who ironed her socks.” – from Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane
When I read the prompt I knew immediately that Karen was Robert's new wife but I was not really sure where the story would go from there. It took a few days before I saw Renee walking into the house to meet her step-mother.
Karen -- like Lindsay from week 2 -- was kind of elusive so I found it much easier to describe her from Renee's perspective. Renee was easier to work with and had spoken to me quite clearly in the previous week.
********************
“So this is it…” Robert said as he pushed the door open and signalled for Renee to go in ahead of him.
“Thanks,” she muttered nervously and stepped through into the large vestibule. “It’s, ah, very nice.”
“We like it,” Robert said with a proud smile. “It was Karen’s and I moved in after we got married.”
As the pair took off their boots and hung up coats they each searched their minds frantically for something to say next. This was only the third time Renee had seen her father since meeting him in the cafe two months ago. There was still an air of tension between the two of them that never seemed to dissipate.
Robert looked around nervously as if searching for something. “I think Karen will be home shortly. You’re going to like her. She is a great lady.”
Karen and Robert had been married year and Renee supposed that Karen was the one to thank for the reunion with her long-lost father. In the twenty years since her birth, Renee had never laid eyes on him but since marrying Karen last year he had decided it was time to find his daughter.
As Robert walked down a short hallway to the den Renee followed. She noticed immediately that the house was spotless. The white tile that graced the entrance and hallway was shining; each picture and painting lining the walls was perfectly straight; and even the leather-bound books on the oak shelves seemed to be dusted and arranged by size.
As she scanned the room Renee thought of her own home growing up. Her mother had worked two jobs throughout most of Renee’s childhood and housekeeping was low on her list of things-to-do on her precious days off. Most often they lived in small apartments or rented basements filled with her mother’s dusty books, three cats, knick-knacks and other assorted treasures they had collected along the way. The two worlds could not have been more different.
Hearing the front door open Renee looked up to find her father looking greatly relieved. She wondered instantly if this dinner party had been Karen’s doing as well.
Renee smelled Karen’s expensive perfume before she saw the woman come around the corner. As she came in she smiled warmly at Renee and crossed the room with her hand extended. “Renee, it is so lovely to finally meet you.” Renee was pleased the woman had not bothered to lie and finish that sentence with I have heard so much about you.
Looking at Karen, Renee wished she had opted for something nicer to wear. The woman was tall and wore a black pant suit that must have cost more than Renee paid for rent each month. Over her left shoulder she had expertly arranged a long green silk scarf and secured it with a lovely silver brooch. She had chin-length black hair that was cut into a perfect bob and Renee would have bet her last dime that Karen had a standing monthly appointment to have it trimmed by a top stylist.
Feeling awkward and sloppy, Renee quickly wiped her hand on her jeans before reaching out to shake Karen’s hand. Women like Karen always made her nervous. Renee bit her nails to little stubs while Karen had a perfect French manicure. Karen’s make-up was flawless while Renee’s mascara always seemed to smudge within an hour of application if she bothered with it at all. She wondered where women like Karen learned to fix their hair so it was pin-straight. Renee always seemed to burn herself if she tried to handle a straightener or a curling iron.
Looking at her father’s new wife she thought immediately of her own mother and the pieces suddenly fell into place. That was why he had never bothered to look for his daughter. Renee would never have fit into the upper-crust world he was trying to build. Karen and Renee’s mother were on opposite sides of the spectrum and Renee would never move far enough towards her dad’s ideal to make him happy. Renee in her jeans and stretched-out sweater stood out like a sore thumb in this perfect, sterile world.
As she looked at the perfect woman standing in front of her, Renee knew that her father would never call her again. This would be their last meeting.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Week 4: The guy in the red shirt
In week we got a curve ball from The Character Project. We did not get a description -- only the first line of our story. “That guy. The one over there in the red shirt. He’s been in here every day this week.”
Here is what I came up with!
Coffee and Confusion
“That guy. The one over there in the red shirt. He’s been in here every day this week.”
Renee looked over her shoulder at the man sitting alone by the window.
“He just asked me if I knew you,” Anna continued as she refilled Renee’s coffee cup. “He called you by name and I told him I wasn’t sure if you had been in yet today. I wanted to ask you first before I pointed you out.”
Renee turned away quickly and gnawed on the back of her pen nervously. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” Sandra answered. “Anything for my best customer.”
As Sandra cleared away the empty mugs on the neighbouring table she looked at Renee and frowned. She had known the girl for several months. She came in every Sunday at the same time, sat at the same table and worked on the New York Times crossword puzzle.
After five years waiting tables at the cafe Sandra was not in the habit of making friends with customers but she had a soft-spot for Renee. The older woman sensed the girl was lonely and having trouble adjusting to her first year at the local college.
Today Renee looked agitated. She opened a third creamer, emptied it into her coffee mug then added the small plastic cup to the pyramid she was constructing in front of her.
“Are you OK, honey? Do you know him? If he’s a problem I can get Jimmy to pitch him out. You just say the word.”
“No, it’s OK,” Renee answered. “I have never met him but I know who he is.”
In fact, Renee had been expecting the man for several weeks. She did not know where or when she would see him but she knew he was coming and was not sure how she felt about it. At that moment her head was spinning and the only feeling she recognized for sure was nausea.
Renee’s mom had given her the warning last month when she called.
“Your dad’s looking for you,” she told Renee. “He told me he was finally ready to meet you.”
“Excuse me?” Renee’s mom had a habit of making grand announcements like these without any warning.
“Your dad – your real dad – he called me yesterday,” she repeated. “Apparently he just got re-married and the new wife has kids. One of his step-daughters is your age and every time he sees her he thinks of the daughter he left behind.”
“Wow.”
“Renee, your father is a jack-ass. I am sorry to have to tell you but it’s true.”
“Great,” Renee sighed. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him that you were in college in Caldwell and that you were an adult. I also told him that I was not sure whether or not you would want to meet him but if you said to get lost he should leave you alone. He agreed to let you decide.”
“Thanks a lot, mom”
“Honey, he’s a jack-ass but he is also your father. You are 20 years old and it is up to you to decide. I am not going to stand it your way if you want to meet him and I am not going to lie to the man.”
As she hung up Renee thought about all of the nights she had cried herself to sleep as a child because she did not have a dad like the other kids. Back then she would have given her left arm to meet her dad. Now she had no idea what she wanted.
Renee took a deep breathe and looked up to give Sandra a smile. She noticed a reflection of the man in the red shirt in a picture frame just off to her left. She could only see his profile from that angle but she could not stop staring at the image.
His hair was grey and thinning so she could not tell what color it had once been. His nose was long and crooked and she suspected it had been broken at some time in his life. She wondered when and how it had happened. She wished she had a better view of his eyes. Were they blue like hers?
He looked up from his newspaper and smiled as the waitress refilled his cup.
Renee stared with fascination as he doctored his coffee and added the small plastic container to a tower he was building on his table top. Then the man quickly glanced at the faces of the customers around him before returning to his crossword puzzle.
As always, I encourage you to visit http://wegotcharacter.wordpress.com/. My fellow writers had some fascinating tales about the man in the red shirt!!
Here is what I came up with!
Coffee and Confusion
“That guy. The one over there in the red shirt. He’s been in here every day this week.”
Renee looked over her shoulder at the man sitting alone by the window.
“He just asked me if I knew you,” Anna continued as she refilled Renee’s coffee cup. “He called you by name and I told him I wasn’t sure if you had been in yet today. I wanted to ask you first before I pointed you out.”
Renee turned away quickly and gnawed on the back of her pen nervously. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” Sandra answered. “Anything for my best customer.”
As Sandra cleared away the empty mugs on the neighbouring table she looked at Renee and frowned. She had known the girl for several months. She came in every Sunday at the same time, sat at the same table and worked on the New York Times crossword puzzle.
After five years waiting tables at the cafe Sandra was not in the habit of making friends with customers but she had a soft-spot for Renee. The older woman sensed the girl was lonely and having trouble adjusting to her first year at the local college.
Today Renee looked agitated. She opened a third creamer, emptied it into her coffee mug then added the small plastic cup to the pyramid she was constructing in front of her.
“Are you OK, honey? Do you know him? If he’s a problem I can get Jimmy to pitch him out. You just say the word.”
“No, it’s OK,” Renee answered. “I have never met him but I know who he is.”
In fact, Renee had been expecting the man for several weeks. She did not know where or when she would see him but she knew he was coming and was not sure how she felt about it. At that moment her head was spinning and the only feeling she recognized for sure was nausea.
Renee’s mom had given her the warning last month when she called.
“Your dad’s looking for you,” she told Renee. “He told me he was finally ready to meet you.”
“Excuse me?” Renee’s mom had a habit of making grand announcements like these without any warning.
“Your dad – your real dad – he called me yesterday,” she repeated. “Apparently he just got re-married and the new wife has kids. One of his step-daughters is your age and every time he sees her he thinks of the daughter he left behind.”
“Wow.”
“Renee, your father is a jack-ass. I am sorry to have to tell you but it’s true.”
“Great,” Renee sighed. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him that you were in college in Caldwell and that you were an adult. I also told him that I was not sure whether or not you would want to meet him but if you said to get lost he should leave you alone. He agreed to let you decide.”
“Thanks a lot, mom”
“Honey, he’s a jack-ass but he is also your father. You are 20 years old and it is up to you to decide. I am not going to stand it your way if you want to meet him and I am not going to lie to the man.”
As she hung up Renee thought about all of the nights she had cried herself to sleep as a child because she did not have a dad like the other kids. Back then she would have given her left arm to meet her dad. Now she had no idea what she wanted.
Renee took a deep breathe and looked up to give Sandra a smile. She noticed a reflection of the man in the red shirt in a picture frame just off to her left. She could only see his profile from that angle but she could not stop staring at the image.
His hair was grey and thinning so she could not tell what color it had once been. His nose was long and crooked and she suspected it had been broken at some time in his life. She wondered when and how it had happened. She wished she had a better view of his eyes. Were they blue like hers?
He looked up from his newspaper and smiled as the waitress refilled his cup.
Renee stared with fascination as he doctored his coffee and added the small plastic container to a tower he was building on his table top. Then the man quickly glanced at the faces of the customers around him before returning to his crossword puzzle.
As always, I encourage you to visit http://wegotcharacter.wordpress.com/. My fellow writers had some fascinating tales about the man in the red shirt!!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Running...
I love to run.
It is a strange thing for me to admit since I spent most of my time in high school phys. ed class looking for reasons NOT to run -- my back hurt, I forgot my shoes, I forgot my gym clothes, I have my period, it is too cold, I have a headache.... If I would have used half the energy that I spent generating excuses into running I would have been a track star!
I started running ten years ago after I had my first daughter as a way to lose weight and I got the bug. I signed up for a 5K, a 10K and then a half marathon. I have competed in a few triathlons and did hill training with a running group. I have done short sprints on tracks, long runs on trails and everything in between. I have run at Disney, on a cruise ship and in the Bahamas.
As much as I love running I have never tried to convince someone else to become a runner. When I get a new client and they say they like the treadmill I ask them: do you want to run or walk on an incline? It is up to them and I never push them to run. I have helped a few of my friends start running but only after they expressed an interest in the sport but I never pushed. Maybe that is why I find it hard to understand why so many people try to justify to me why they don't run -- or better yet -- try to convince me to stop.
Here are a few of the most annoying things that I hear from non-runners.
1) I am out running in the neighbourhood and they pull up beside me in their car and ask "do you want a ride?" ha ha... that one wasn't even funny the first time I heard it.
2) My doctor told me that no one should ever run because it is so bad for your knees and back. Really? No one should ever run? hmmmm I know a lot of people who run that are not crippled with bad backs or knees: some of them are even doctors. Also, those Olympians and Kenyan front-runners that run like gazelles at the 10K races better watch out because they must be in for some serious trouble.
3) Aren't you worried that your boobs are going to sag? All of that bouncing can't be good for them. Wow! I really appreciate your concerns about my breasts. I found this crazy thing called a bra. It works wonders.
4) I read an article once (they can never remember where they read it) saying that running puts stress on your heart. Aren't you worried about having a heart attack? Well, stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease all run in my family. I am more worried about the affect that NOT running will have on my heart.
5) Isn't it expensive? Those shoes cost a fortune and what about that heart rate monitor you have? I like my toys. The heart rate monitor was a gift from my hubby who is proud of me for running and my shoes cost much less than the stilettos and boots some of my girlfriends buy. I don't judge them for the cost of their footwear.
6) What about getting attacked or abducted? I could get attacked anywhere -- it is a sad fact of life. I am careful and only run in well-lit, populated areas or in a group.
7) I was thinking of going for a run and then I sat down, had a beer and the feeling passed -- Thank God... Ha ha ha... again a funny one. You non-runners are a bunch of comedians.
8) I worry about nipple chafing I still don't have an answer to this one. It came from a man I know and it completely took me aback. I think I laughed and told him that his nipples were his own business -- YIKES
9) There are too many runs in this city -- they shut down streets and it is really a pain in the butt. Running season is short and there only a few major races all year. They are well publicized and the road closures are announced weeks in advance. If you are stopped by one, pull over, get out of your car and cheer for the folks who are working hard.
10) I would run but since I had kids I don't have time -- I tend put my family first. This one annoys me because a) It implies that I have tonnes of free time. I don't -- I make time. b) My kids are important to me too. I am not neglecting them by taking time to stay healthy. I want to dance at their wedding and live to a ripe old age to see them have kids of their own.
Phew... that feels better!
I would be remiss if I did not finish this off by thanking some of the non-runners. Each year I run the 10K at Ottawa Race Day weekend and I am always amazed to see the people lining the roads cheering us on with signs and shouts of encouragement. Kids give us high-fives, people yell out "way to go", "Keep going" or "you're doing great." It is the most amazing feeling to realize that a total stranger took the time to come out and cheer me along.
But I think the most important reason I continue to run is for my girls. I want them to grow up thinking that fitness is a natural way of life. That people go out to run because it is a nice day and they feel like 'stretching their legs'. That exercise is a great way to blow some steam after a hard day. Last week my 5-year old told me: Mommy, when I am older I am going to run races too.
That's why I keep running.
It is a strange thing for me to admit since I spent most of my time in high school phys. ed class looking for reasons NOT to run -- my back hurt, I forgot my shoes, I forgot my gym clothes, I have my period, it is too cold, I have a headache.... If I would have used half the energy that I spent generating excuses into running I would have been a track star!
I started running ten years ago after I had my first daughter as a way to lose weight and I got the bug. I signed up for a 5K, a 10K and then a half marathon. I have competed in a few triathlons and did hill training with a running group. I have done short sprints on tracks, long runs on trails and everything in between. I have run at Disney, on a cruise ship and in the Bahamas.
As much as I love running I have never tried to convince someone else to become a runner. When I get a new client and they say they like the treadmill I ask them: do you want to run or walk on an incline? It is up to them and I never push them to run. I have helped a few of my friends start running but only after they expressed an interest in the sport but I never pushed. Maybe that is why I find it hard to understand why so many people try to justify to me why they don't run -- or better yet -- try to convince me to stop.
Here are a few of the most annoying things that I hear from non-runners.
1) I am out running in the neighbourhood and they pull up beside me in their car and ask "do you want a ride?" ha ha... that one wasn't even funny the first time I heard it.
2) My doctor told me that no one should ever run because it is so bad for your knees and back. Really? No one should ever run? hmmmm I know a lot of people who run that are not crippled with bad backs or knees: some of them are even doctors. Also, those Olympians and Kenyan front-runners that run like gazelles at the 10K races better watch out because they must be in for some serious trouble.
3) Aren't you worried that your boobs are going to sag? All of that bouncing can't be good for them. Wow! I really appreciate your concerns about my breasts. I found this crazy thing called a bra. It works wonders.
4) I read an article once (they can never remember where they read it) saying that running puts stress on your heart. Aren't you worried about having a heart attack? Well, stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease all run in my family. I am more worried about the affect that NOT running will have on my heart.
5) Isn't it expensive? Those shoes cost a fortune and what about that heart rate monitor you have? I like my toys. The heart rate monitor was a gift from my hubby who is proud of me for running and my shoes cost much less than the stilettos and boots some of my girlfriends buy. I don't judge them for the cost of their footwear.
6) What about getting attacked or abducted? I could get attacked anywhere -- it is a sad fact of life. I am careful and only run in well-lit, populated areas or in a group.
7) I was thinking of going for a run and then I sat down, had a beer and the feeling passed -- Thank God... Ha ha ha... again a funny one. You non-runners are a bunch of comedians.
8) I worry about nipple chafing I still don't have an answer to this one. It came from a man I know and it completely took me aback. I think I laughed and told him that his nipples were his own business -- YIKES
9) There are too many runs in this city -- they shut down streets and it is really a pain in the butt. Running season is short and there only a few major races all year. They are well publicized and the road closures are announced weeks in advance. If you are stopped by one, pull over, get out of your car and cheer for the folks who are working hard.
10) I would run but since I had kids I don't have time -- I tend put my family first. This one annoys me because a) It implies that I have tonnes of free time. I don't -- I make time. b) My kids are important to me too. I am not neglecting them by taking time to stay healthy. I want to dance at their wedding and live to a ripe old age to see them have kids of their own.
Phew... that feels better!
I would be remiss if I did not finish this off by thanking some of the non-runners. Each year I run the 10K at Ottawa Race Day weekend and I am always amazed to see the people lining the roads cheering us on with signs and shouts of encouragement. Kids give us high-fives, people yell out "way to go", "Keep going" or "you're doing great." It is the most amazing feeling to realize that a total stranger took the time to come out and cheer me along.
But I think the most important reason I continue to run is for my girls. I want them to grow up thinking that fitness is a natural way of life. That people go out to run because it is a nice day and they feel like 'stretching their legs'. That exercise is a great way to blow some steam after a hard day. Last week my 5-year old told me: Mommy, when I am older I am going to run races too.
That's why I keep running.
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