WRITING & POETRY

A Galveston Jog

Four concerts, three cities all in three days, Houston, San Antonio and having arrived here last night, Galveston. Now, though this is a tour, it is still a trip and a vacation away from school. When on a vacation we tend to feel guilty for eating out so much, not running enough, overall laziness. Well, Galveston, though the sand is sticky and the water is way too salty, it inspired me this morning. Maybe it is because I am not used to seeing the ocean when I wake up. The fact that there is something new in my day today makes me feel like I can create some type of change, do something more. My alarm goes off at 9 a.m. Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes, a song that has rain in the background reminding me of Seattle, and a song that I patiently learned on the guitar wakes me up. I get prouder and prouder every time I hear it. My arm stretches over to silence the phone and my sleeping eyes begin to open. Kristi is up brushing her teeth getting ready for her lacrosse game as she listens to her, as she calls it pump up music. And Mrs. Dickson is already out and about, because oddly enough she wakes up at six in the morning, everyday, even on weekends.

Not feeling tired I jump out of bed grabbing my hot pink, silky running shorts with white stripes on the sides and a white t-shirt. My gray and yellow tennis shoes get stomped and twisted on until my feet go in, and right as I get my left foot in I head out the door.

Turning to my left, walking along the cheap, third floor, concrete ground of the La Quinta motel, a motel that looks like murders take place in the rooms, I pass two doors. My right hand roles into a fist and my knuckles bounce off the door.

SILENCE.

"Hello" I say.

This time my knuckles hammer the door three times. I hear a body trip over a bag and then I see Amanda with her swollen eyes and confused face opening the door. Their room looks like midnight with the only sliver of light escaping through the door as it shuts behind me.

Pounce.

"Upsy Daisy! Come on wake up!" I say

"Uhh, no go away!" Kayla mumbles

"No come on, y'all said you wanted to run"

Kayla begins to ramble on about how her stomach hurts and she couldn't possibly run and Blaire joins in on the excuses. I guess Ill run by myself then. But to my surprise the two sophomores, Amanda and Brianna both want to run.

Ok then lets go, get your shoes on. They get ready quickly and were out the door leaving the moaners behind us. We walk down the stairs, and as we come upon the crosswalk we see the square of pavement that we will start at. I mentally prepare myself as if I am about to run a race or a marathon.

Go.

We begin. I'm not expecting much. Hopefully I will get a good 20-minute jog in. Now it is not so much the physical aspect of long distance running as it is the mental aspect for me. The bottom line is that I get bored, especially when I do not have music playing in my ears. But as I begin to pull away from Brianna and Amanda time passes. I notice time passing and me not caring, not wanting to stop running.

I look ahead and I pick out a street lamp that I will stop and turn around at, but a few minutes later that street lamp slips past me. I keep on running. It has been about 25 minutes and I am still running. I have the ocean on my left where pirates once sailed and mermaid myths were created, and Galveston on my right where the big hangout is a Dennys on the corner where a waitress with dark skin, bleached blond hair, and black lip liner greets you and offers you taters. Another five minutes pass with that thought. I look ahead picking spots to stop at only to end up passing them. And then I realize, why do I keep picking out spots to stop at? What happens when I stop, when I stop running? Is it all over? All this, just to stop?

I keep repeating these questions in my head and I keep running.

A few minutes later I glance at my watch and it is time to go back and get ready for the lacrosse game.

So I stop.

And turn around.