Today I did something I have never done before. Usually, the feeling I get when I run is more than enough to keep me going–that feeling of wind hitting you like you are literally fighting the very fabric of nature to go faster, the feeling of being a driven to go on by a single purpose–it is the very reason for my existence. When I tried to fight the wind today I won but it wasn’t nearly as fun as it usually is so I decided to take a different route. I came across a man that was going extremely slow; turtles were passing him left and right kind of slow. The path that I took however wasn’t wide enough for me to go around so I had to slow down and walk behind the man. He understood he was holding me up and apologized saying, “I’ll get out of your way as soon as I can so you can finish your run.” Perturbed that he stopped me initially but surprised by the apology when I was the one being hostile I stammered a half witted answer back, “Y-you’re fine sir. No hurry.” I felt horrible about my thoughts before hand. Here this man was minding his own business on a path I never take and I treated him like he was in the way. No greeting, no nothing, just stopped feet from him and sighed audibly. I couldn’t take the guilt any longer. I thought back to a couple of months ago when I was on the phone with my cable company, and the customer service representative audibly sighed on the phone while trying to help me.
I asked the man if he lived in the area and he said yes that he lived at the temple at the end of the path. Duh! He is a freaking Monk and if I felt bad before; I feel like dirt now. Here he was a man of faith–on the way to said faith–and I was being a jerk to him as the first expression. I apologized for my earlier haste and the rude thoughts earlier and he said, ” Don’t worry about it son. I am an old man and even I know that I am slow. Being fast doesn’t help a man like me as it gets in the way of seeing the truth at times.” Wow. Everything this man said caught me off guard when we talked. I reiterated as much to the monk to the tune of, ‘I haven’t thought of that before.’ It was difficult for me to grasp something like that when my entire life has been devoted to running faster than the day before. We didn’t say anything for a while until he asked if I would like to join the other monks and himself for a slow meal. We laughed a little at the joke and I accepted. I have to tell you that was some of the best soup I have ever had. Considering they said it had been cooking since that morning I can see why. We had a great meal and the company wasn’t all that bad either. They were still monks but they did have a since of humor so it was a good change of pace for me. Tomorrow I might take the path again. This time I’ll walk though and clear my head of all worldly pleasures.
