What Are They Running From?

I see people running all the time. They run through the neighborhoods. They run around campus. When I go to Nashville, I see them running through the city. Men. Women. Kids. All shapes and sizes. People are constantly running.

As I watch them go by, I ask myself, “What are they running from?”

I’m sure they are not being chased by a coyote using explosives made by the ACME Company. However, I have some theories about what they are running from.

Death – This one is pretty obvious. People run to be healthier and being healthier is supposed to lead to a longer life. However, there are a few reasons why this is not a good idea. First of all, we can’t run from death. No matter how healthy we may be, we are not going to get out of this alive. (This leads me to another point. Religious people talk about how great heaven is and how they want to get there, but they don’t want to get in a big hurry about it. In fact, they want to put it off as long as possible.)

Second, I think there are better ways to exercise and stay healthy. Swimming is a lot easier on the body, and cycling seems to be a lot more fun than pounding the sidewalk over and over.

Loneliness – This is my major theory. When I see someone running on a Friday or Saturday night, I immediately think that they don’t have someone to be with. Instead of sitting home alone, they fill their time by running. When people ask them about their weekend plans, they can say that they are going running. On top of that, they may meet someone with a similar interest along the trail.

Boredom – Directly connected to loneliness, I believe this is a major aspect. Instead of staring at a wall, they get outside and stare at the road ahead.

Themselves – A lot of people don’t like themselves. They don’t like their flaws. They don’t like their life. They don’t like the decisions they have made. Only, it’s impossible to run from ourselves and the demons that may be lurking inside us. No matter where we go we will always be there.

Addiction – This one is more personal. I have a friend who is a recovering alcoholic and addict. He hits the streets every night. I think he has replaced unhealthy addictions with a healthy one. I believe he and others have become addicted to running.

Godzilla – I haven’t seen the giant lizard stomping on buildings and spitting fire, but the last time I saw this many people running Godzilla was on the prowl.

Look, I know people are going to read this and think, “Why is he making fun of people who are trying to be healthy?” Good for them. I like being healthy, too. That’s why I use the treadmill. People make fun of me, but it’s a way that I can exercise and read at the same time.

I am merely pointing out the fact that health is a good reason to run, but I don’t think it’s the only reason. What are all of these people running from? It could be a lot of things. In fact, it could be some things that people need to turn around and face.

Tags: Godzilla, Rambling Ruminations, Road Runner