Passion

Passion has a few different definitions. If you read romance novels, you probably think of the word differently than I do. I don't read romance novels and I'm just not all that romantic in general. So the definition I think of is..."Passion is a lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity."

Yesterday I ran the same 5 miles that I have been doing on my run days. yesterday was supposed to be a day off from running on my rest and recovery plan, but the running is feeling good and I wanted to do it. I'm definitely not pushing it. I'm keeping it low mileage and at a fun pace. I'll run again today. I'm getting my running habit back and this makes me happy! The mountain biking is very exciting for me also. I feel passionate about both of these things!

Yesterday afternoon Kevin and I went out on the mountain bikes. As we were getting ready for our ride, my neighbor John, who has been MIA for a few months, came over to talk. I had been wondering where the heck he's been. It turns out he was in a bad road bike crash in Cape Elizabeth and has been in and out of the hospital for a few months, staying with a friend in Portland between hospitalizations. He was looking with envy at my bike and I could tell he can't wait to get back on his. It's always nice to see someone who has a passion for some sort of activity. It doesn't really matter to me what that activity is. I just think it is so important to have something in life that you do just because it gives you joy.

There are people who seem to find this offensive somehow. These are the ones who say, "all you do is run," or "all he does is walk around in the woods all day," or "he is completely addicted to fishing." They say this as if there are better ways we should be spending our time. These are the same people who are spending 20 hours in front of the TV each week or going shopping, not because they need something but because they need something to do with themselves. I have been a runner for a long time and I have heard a lot of these types of comments, sometimes even from people who are very close to me. I have a difficult time understanding why.

Anyway, it was nice to see that gleam in John's eye as he watched Kevin and me ride away. I know passion when I see it. John will probably heal faster because of his desire to get back on that bike of his. And when he can ride again and he pedals off with a big smile on his face, there is bound to be someone shaking his or her head and saying in a negative tone, "Jeeze, he's so hooked on biking, even that bad accident won't stop him." But the nice thing is , there will be others of us standing there shaking our heads and saying in an enthusiastic tone, "Jeeze, he's so hooked on biking, even that bad accident won't stop him!"