Day 64 "You gave up your freedom and your dignity for a crust of bread!"'

Day 64, Tuesday, April 6th. Ran 3 miles Run so far 103 miles Miles to go 897. Gambling investment 27 dollars. Winnings 12 Down 15 dollars. Won 4 dollars on the Weekly Grand Saturday!

After the triumph of my 100th mile in New York City, I returned to Dallas and promptly got sick as a dog with a bad chest cold. Today was the first day I could run again. I ran three miles at lunch time on the track at SMU. It felt so good to be back running, although I did find myself still coughing a lot. I also got a little too much sun for my fair skinned face.

There were four African American runners and their coach at the track. They were shirtless and wore tight black running pants. Their bodies were amazing. I knew that I had never looked like that nor would I ever. Natural athletic bodies sculpted like statues. I ran on the farthest out lane to stay out of their way.

One of them had was accompanied by his two year old daughter. She was beautiful with a big mop of curly hair. A future track star I am sure, she ran all the way around the quarter mile track with such glee. It was a wonderful sight. All the other runners were cheering her on.

After work I had dinner at a Mexican Restaurant, Cyclone Anaya's, with Gym Rat. My watermelon margarita was too small in size and too expensive in price, but the steak quesadias were tasty. Afterward, he wanted me to go with him to the self service car wash. I have to admit that I cannot remember how many years its has been since I washed a car. Probably as many as have passed since I mowed a yard. Gym Rat said that there had been some robberies at night and he wanted me to be there with my cell phone punched to 911 in case we needed assistance quickly. It is true that there have been some robberies at places like ATMs at night when people go to get quick cash. In any event, I was a good sport and went along.

Gym Rat has the cleanest car you can imagine. A grey Lexus. I did not even think it needed to be washed. It certainly was much cleaner than mine which I had been OK with, given that the recent rain had washed off a few layers of grit. He methodically vacuumed the inside of the car then rinsed the outside and scrubbed it with soap and rinsed it again with an efficiency that belied his experience at washing cars...only his car. When another car did pull up and the person got on his phone (and showed no signs of planning to wash his car) I have to admit that I did hold my finger a little closer to the 911 button. But soon that car left and we were alone again. I left Gym Rat and his clean car and went home.

All day I have been thinking about an old Russian tale I read recently about how dogs became domesticated and at what cost. It seems that there was a pack of wolves in Siberia and they were very hungry. They had not eaten in a long while. The old leader of the pack told them to be patient and that deer would come again as they always did, and they would be full. But one young wolf said he was too hungry and left, to go to the camp where the humans were to see if they would give him anything to eat. They did and he decided to stay. He began to hunt with the humans. One day his human master shot a wolf and the young wolf, now dog, ran up to fetch it but when he got to the old wolf he realized that it was the old leader of the pack. The young wolf was very remorseful but the old wolf would have none of it. He told the young wolf "You have made your choice. You have given up your dignity and your freedom for a crust of bread. Return to your masters."

It is a good story. There is much wisdom in the admonition that we have to be careful not to sacrifice freedom for security or we could lose both.....but Life is Good!